MOSCOW, February 28. /TASS/. The Russian Direct Investment Fund will respond to the US sanctions by using all means available to defend its rights, reputation and lawful interests, including by taking the matter to court, it said in a statement.

The fund said US President Joe Biden administration’s statements regarding the fund were "slanderous" and "unsubstantiated."

The RDIF also stated that the curbs were politically motivated and ran counter to the principles of humanitarian cooperation.

"The RDIF was never involved in political activity," it said in a statement. The fund wasn’t involved in the interaction with Ukraine, pursued the best investment practices and fully complied with the laws of the countries where it implemented its projects, it said.

The RDIF criticized the restrictions as exemplifying the course of the US toward annihilation of any dialogue between the countries.

The investment fund stated that the US sanctions were a result of lobbying by Western pharmaceutical industry because they made it harder for the entity to promote Russia’s vaccines.

The restrictions could ultimately deprive billions of people around the world of access to safe and efficient vaccines made in Russia, the fund said.