Putin on Sanctions: US Implementing Policy of Containing Russia

The United States is implementing a policy of containing Russia, the US politicians would always find a reason to justify restrictive measures, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday during the "Direct Line" session.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Putin said that if, for example, the reunification of Crimea with Russia, to which the United States strongly objected, had not happened, the US lawmakers would have found "something else to contain Russia."

"It [anti-Russian sanctions] has always been presented in this way by politicians — for the containment of Russia," the president said, adding that the recent US Senate's decision on anti-Russian sanctions was taken for no reason.

On Wednesday, the US Senate approved, by an overwhelming majority, a measure that would expand sanctions on Russia and limit the US president’s ability to lift said sanctions.

The new sanctions were proposed as a response to Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. They would target Russia’s defense, intelligence, railway, mining and shipping industries. They would also restrict dealings with Russian banks and energy companies.

Moscow has repeatedly denied allegations of meddling in the US election.