MOSCOW, January 14. /TASS/. The Russian economy is resilient to any external impact, and sanctions cannot seriously affect it, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutsky said at an online briefing on Friday.
"We are going to respond adequately. We have diversified our economy, today it can resist any external influences. And, of course, I cannot say that there are no sanctions that are sensitive," the head of the lower house committee noted. He also mentioned that Russia has appropriate and, if necessary, symmetrical methods of "countering any kind of sanctions."
Slutsky noted that "sanctions and other restrictive measures were not the right tools to be used, although they likely can exist somewhere as an exception." "But there is no need to use them in modern world politics. It is unjustified," the Russian senator said.
"As for the actions directed against us, we are aware of our capabilities, no restrictive measures can entail catastrophic consequences for the Russian economy," Slutsky insisted.
On January 12, a group of Democrat legislators led by Senator Robert Menendez introduced a bill to the US Senate on restrictions against Russia if tensions around Ukraine escalate. It involves, among other things, sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, heads of the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Defense, the chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, and other members of the military leadership. In addition, restrictive measures may affect the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.