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Anti-Russian sanctions

US statements on new sanctions have no legal basis, says Russian diplomat

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated on Sunday that Washington is preparing new sanctions against Russian companies involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Russian Foreign Ministry Press Office/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Russian Foreign Ministry Press Office/TASS

MOSCOW, June 22. /TASS/. Washington’s statements on new sanctions against Moscow for the alleged use of chemical weapons have no legal basis, they are trying to spin the much-hyped issue of chemical poisoning to activate sanctions against Nord Stream 2, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday on the Solovyev Live YouTube channel.

"The US is advocating its agenda. We can qualify it in various ways. In this case, this agenda as well as statements on introducing sanctions for the use of chemical weapons and some mythical poisoning have no legal basis. And all this is projected on Nord Stream 2 as well," she said.

The diplomat explained that such statements do not have any legal basis, as they do not correspond even to the US CBW [Chemical and Biological Weapons] Act dated 1991. "In order to implement this act, there need to be undisputed proven facts. There aren’t any," Zakharova stressed.

The spokeswoman recalled that the US cites the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) when developing sanctions. "We all know, it is public knowledge, about the destructive policy of the US and its satellite states on the platforms of this organization with the aim of turning it into a quiet compliant tool for the implementation of their agenda," she said.

The diplomat added that Washington "clearly ties" the anti-Russian sanctions "to a purely commercial project" that they were unable to stop either through economic or political means. "As a result, they are using their favorite approach, pressing the sanctions button, and tying it to the much-hyped issue of chemical weapons, putting their foot on the gas further," she said.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated on Sunday that Washington is preparing new sanctions against Russia over the situation with Alexey Navalny. According to him, US officials continue to introduce sanctions against Russian companies involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

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