WASHINGTON, April 7. /TASS/. The sanctions imposed by the US against Sberbank and Alfa-Bank are a direct attack on the citizens of Russia, Washington is damaging the global economy, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said on Wednesday responding to a question from media.
"The administration's non-stop sanctions attacks show true aspirations of the United States. An example is the restrictions against Sberbank and Alfa-Bank, where most Russians keep their savings. This is a direct attack on the Russian population, ordinary citizens," he said as quoted in the embassy's telegram channel.
"By imposing new sanctions, Washington continues to damage the global economy. It undermines the possibilities of foreign partners for mutually beneficial cooperation with us. It leaves foreign business without the income necessary in the current period of economic turbulence," the ambassador added.
"The attempts of the United States to make it difficult for us to service our public debt are puzzling. We see in these efforts a desire to tarnish the reputation of Russia, which, despite the economic barriers built by Washington, continues to fulfill its debt obligations in good faith and on time," Antonov stressed.
Earlier Wednesday, the US administration announced that it was imposing full blocking sanctions on Sberbank and Alfa-Bank.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine, stressing that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories. Western countries responded to the actions of the Russian authorities by slapping sanctions against physical and legal entities.