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Lavrov surprised it took so long to draft Washington's 'Kremlin List'

"They could have done it much, much faster," he said

© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

MOSCOW, January 31. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday jokingly he was surprised at how much time the U.S. officials needed to draw up the so-called Kremlin list.

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"I just saw from the TV screen the surnames of people they included in that report," he told Rossiya 24 news channel. "One of the things among many others that surprised me was that the instruction to compile the list was made in a law adopted in August."

"It took them five months to get familiarized with a directory that contains the names of government members and with a directory that contains the names of the Presidential Administration staff," Lavrov said. "They could have done it much, much faster."

The U.S. Department of the Treasury published an open version of the so-called Kremlin report on Monday. It lists all the members of the Russian government including Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the staff members of the Presidential Administration, the heads of a number of state corporations and banks, and business executives.

Washington placed Lavrov on the list, too.

All in all, it contains the names of 210 people. Its publication is not automatically conducive to any sanctions against the individuals placed on it.

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Russian army pushes Ukraine out of Kurakhovo water reservoir’s north shore

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Russia always fulfilled its trade obligations, ready to cooperate with Germany — Putin

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EU considers ICC warrants against Netanyahu, Gallant as binding — foreign policy chief

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Russian air defense deflects attacks with Western missiles — Putin

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Enemy has no countermeasures for Russia’s Oreshnik missile — Putin

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Russia to address NATO’s engagement in strikes deep inside country — SVR

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US strategic forces ready for Biden-Trump transition — Pentagon

"The nuclear forces is ready on January 19, just like it will be ready on January, 20," Rear Admiral Thomas Buchanan said

US decision on strikes inside Russia stems from malice rather than strategy — journalist

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Russia encircles largest Ukrainian fortification in southern DPR — security services

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Biden's decision to use ATACMS on Russia threatens to kill Americans — Tucker Carlson

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Ukrainian special services assemble unit for sabotage attacks in Kupyansk — official

According to Yevgeny Lisnyak, the special services threaten people with criminal charges of collaborationism if they refuse to join the unit

US forces strike Houthi sites with seaborne missiles — TV

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