Moscow to Hit Back at Washington Sanctions With 'Mirror Measures'

BELGRADE (Sputnik) - Russia will respond to upcoming US sanctions tied to the Salisbury poisoning with similar measures of its own, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said during a trip to Serbia.

Asked by Sputnik in Belgrade if Moscow was going to stop rocket engine exports to the United States, Maria Zakharova said Friday that, "We are working on response measures."

She added Russia did not make a secret of the fact that it had to prepare a "mirror response," "instead of thinking of how to improve our relationship and steer it out of the deadlock."

The United States said Wednesday it would impose sanctions on Russia on or around August 22 after blaming it for the March poisoning of a Russian ex-spy in the English town of Salisbury.

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The first wave of action will be related to exports of sensitive national security material to Russia, a US official said. It may be followed by a second batch of "draconian" sanctions in 90 days. The restrictions will not concern space, where the United States depends on Russia to transport its crews and cargo.