WASHINGTON, August 27. /TASS/. Washington’s new sanctions against Moscow bring the US closer to the point of no return in resolving current international issues with Russia. Besides, such measures are fruitless and futile, the message published on Monday by the Russian Embassy in Washington states.
"Washington issued another set of illegitimate one-sided sanctions against Russia. It feels like local politicians have an unhealthy craving for demolishing the fundamental basis of bilateral relations, on which rests the global security. Decisions are made with zero attempts to look into things, while ignoring our calls for dialogue, in absence of any real proof of "Russia’s guilt". The U.S. mainstream media spreads absurd accusations against our country," the embassy stated.
"Political elites seem to ignore the fact that every new "seizure" of American sanctions "fever" brings the U.S. close to the point of no return in resolving pressing international issues - joint fight against terrorism and danger of WMD (weapons of mass destruction - TASS) falling into the hands of non-governmental entities," the message continues.
The embassy also noted that "Cold War scenarios, the ones the world should have forsaken 30 years ago, are now taking shape." "Instead, it turns out that no one is safe from brute pressure of Washington. Not everyone can withstand it. But Russia can," they stressed.
"We do not accept Washington’s hostile sanctions. They will have no effect on our determination to follow our own course in international relations. The U.S. public has to know that sanctions against Russia are futile. They meet the interests of neither Russian, nor American people," the diplomatic mission concluded.
New US sanctions
The United States’ sanctions on Russia over Moscow’s alleged involvement in the poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the British city of Salisbury came into effect on Monday. The US Department of State argues that Russia is in breach of the 1991 Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act. The new restrictions include a total ban on the supply of electronic devices and other dual-use products to Russia.
Earlier this month, a senior State Department official said, however, that the US authorities intend to make exceptions to the new sanctions on Russia. According to the official, "we will have a waiver for the provision of foreign assistance to Russia and to the Russian people." "We are also waiving sanctions with respect to space flight activities, because of course there are space flight actions in which we are engaged with the Russian Federation upon which we depend in some regards… And we are also having a carve-out for safety of commercial passenger aviation because some of these national security sensitive goods in question are ones that perhaps might be important for safety of flight issues," the official added.
Meanwhile, tougher measures may be taken in November. The US authorities said however that Russia might escape the harsher sanctions if it provides credible guarantees not to use chemical and biological weapons and allows the United Nations and other international organizations to carry out inspections on the country’s soil.