MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/. Deputy Speaker of Russia’s Federation Council (the upper house of parliament) Konstantin Kosachev took to Facebook on Friday and bashed Washington’s defense policy bill for the next financial year, passed by the House of Representatives, as blackmail against Russia.
"We find it interesting because it contains another set of economic blackmail measures (which is what such unilateral sanctions usually are) against Russia. It's nothing new but on the whole, the implications are clear," he pointed out.
Kosachev noted that these restrictions were a weapon "since they are included in the defense policy bill." "That said, the United States seeks to use its economic advantages, namely its influence on the global financial system, for military purposes, which particularly concerns the ban on American investors from purchasing Russian government bonds on the secondary market that is supposed to cause economic damage to Russia as a nation, and not specific officials. Let's remember this regarding the flood of accusations against Russia for allegedly using its advantages in the gas industry against Europe," Kosachev emphasized.
He was confident that nowadays, these sanctions "have morphed into a tax on sovereignty." "It is the price that countries have to pay for pursuing an independent policy. Their main goal is not to punish a country and set an example, but to intimidate nations that are on the fence: are you still pondering on how to behave in various situations, how to vote in the United Nations and from whom to purchase weapons? Here is the price of freedom, look at Russia," the senate speaker wrote.
He also said that the amendment concerning Russian bonds had been introduced in response to Moscow's alleged interference in US elections. "It seems absurd but it is no coincidence. The Wall Street Journal has just published data, which makes it clear that the Russian election meddling story was made up and promoted by the Clinton campaign team. However, they still need to punish Russia," Kosachev noted.