Russia Has Plans to Hedge Risks in Event of New US Economic Sanctions, Kremlin Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has plans to hedge risks and mitigate consequences in the event of new US economic sanctions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"The Kremlin, of course, is concerned because the sanctions behaviour of the United States is absolutely unpredictable. The US retains its unpredictability internationally in this regard. There are plans, risk hedging plans to minimise the consequences of such unpredictable actions," Peskov told reporters.

Moscow once again urges Washington to abandon its provocative actions and escalating tension on the European continent, the Kremlin spokesman added.

Earlier this week, the US said it was preparing a package of sanctions that would be imposed against Russia in the event that it invades Ukraine and would target the country's banking sector and export controls, as well as "key people and industries" that were spared by Washington in sanctions it introduced in 2014 after Russia's reunification with Crimea.

The UK, for its part, also threatened Russia with sanctions, with UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss saying that the government was preparing a draft law that would expand the anti-Russian sanctions list that is already in place in Britain and would hit Russian energy companies and other "strategic" industries.

Europe has been reportedly considering sanctions against Russia as well, and they will possibly include restrictions on currency conversion, export control measures, import and export bans, as well as limiting access to the SWIFT interbank system.

Reports about new Western sanctions against Russia have been made in the past few weeks amid a continuing row between Russia, the US and NATO over Ukraine. There has been speculation in the Western media about Moscow amassing tens of thousands of troops on the border with Ukraine and preparing to "invade" the country, an allegation Russia has repeatedly denied as groundless and stressing it has no plans to attack any country. Moscow also said that NATO's increased military activity in Eastern Europe and active technical assistance to Ukraine pose a serious threat to Russia's national security.