US Congress Tries to Organize Economic Blockade of Russia - Ryabkov

Deputy Foreign Minister said that United States Congress is attempting to organize an economic blockade of Russia.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The United States Congress is attempting to organize an economic blockade of Russia, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Tuesday.

Ryabkov named a bill unveiled last month to codify anti-Russia sanctions imposed by the previous US administration, as well as attempts to expand and toughen restrictions "and even to blackmail third countries into following them."

"In other words, in fact [the US Congress wants to] organize something like an economic blockade of Russia," he told lower house of parliament lawmakers at a roundtable on bilateral ties.

He warned that the passage of the bill cannot be ruled out "taking into account the prevailing anti-Russian sentiment on Capitol Hill."

"We do not dramatize the situation. We understand that [US President Donald] Trump and his appointees need time to fine-tune the foreign policy bloc and clarify priorities," Ryabkov stressed.

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