"It seems that imposing sanctions on any occasion is the only instrument of American foreign policy… We see this in the example of Iran. This is blackmail and intimidation, even of their own allies," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated.
Moscow's response to Washington’s sanctions will not necessarily be mirrored, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said.
"One hundred percent mirror sanctions are not necessary. We cannot compete with the US in the economic sphere, as we are in different weight categories. We deliberately maintain uncertainty about the question of how we will respond because if we start to announce something in advance, it will mean a weakening of our positions," he noted.
"US officials, who consider themselves to be divine judges of the world, are not indifferent to it. When one of them finds out that he or she has been deprived of comprehensive rights, because he or she simply cannot get a Russian visa, it is a knock to the nose and self-esteem," Ryabkov stated.
READ MORE: Russians 'Divesting Themselves of US Debt' Amid US Sanctions — UK Ex-Diplomat
Russia, under American sanctions, should actually start to get rid of the dollar as a means of payment settlements, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
On August 8, the United States informed they were imposing a new package of anti-Russian sanctions over Moscow's alleged use of chemical weapons in Salisbury in early March to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
The new sanctions include, in particular, a ban on supplies of dual-purpose electronic devices and components to Russia.
