WASHINGTON, September 28. /TASS/. Washington is trying to avoid responsibility for cutting commercial ties with Moscow, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said.

When asked to comment on US officials’ statements that Washington was not creating obstacles for American companies that continued working in Russia, he noted that "these statements are quite puzzling." "Here in Washington, they want to take off themselves the responsibility for piling up all kinds of sanctions that led to the collapse of bilateral commercial ties," Antonov said.

"Because of an incredible number of restrictions in the financial and trade spheres, it has become almost impossible for economic agents to make necessary payments. This is also true for food and medicine transactions, which, as the US administration often claims, are not subject to sanctions. Logistical routes for the supply of goods have also been disrupted," the Russian ambassador pointed out.

"Biased media outlets and some non-governmental organizations zealously joined the efforts to exert blatant pressure on business. Spreading defamatory publications, they push corporations to leave Russia, even at the cost of multimillion-dollar losses. Black lists of ‘malicious perpetrators’ who do not fall for the threats of these inciters are being compiled," Antonov stressed.

"But even under these circumstances, American enterprises confirm their interest in maintaining a presence in Russia. For our part, we remain open to mutually beneficial commercial cooperation," the envoy added.

US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a briefing on Wednesday that every business has to decide "on its own" whether to stay in Russian or leave. He claimed that the US authorities had not "tried to tell businesses that are working to provide food or pharmaceutical goods to the Russian people that they should stop doing business there.".