Russia warns US it is 'playing with fire' over sanctions
Moscow said today Washington's latest raft of anti-Russian sanctions that also target China undermined global stability, warning the US against "playing with fire." "It would be good for them to remember there's such a concept as global stability which they're thoughtlessly undermining by whipping up tensions in Russian-American ties," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. "Playing with fire is silly," he added. Here's more.
US expanded its sanctions war against Russia, China
"We recommend that Washington's operators of the sanctions machine at least superficially acquaint themselves with our history to stop going round in circles," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. Yesterday, the United States expanded its sanctions war against Russia to China, for the first time announcing punitive measures against a Chinese military organization for buying Russian fighter jets and missiles.
33 Russian intelligence, military-linked actors on US's sanctions blacklist
US State Department announced it's placing 33 Russian intelligence and military-linked actors on its sanctions blacklist. All of them - defense-related firms, officers of GRU military intelligence agency, and people associated with Saint Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency disinformation group - have been on previous US sanctions lists and 28 of them have already been indicted by Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russia election interference.
Latest round of US's anti-Russian measures was 60th since 2011
Ryabkov reiterated that none of the rounds of sanctions had managed to force Russia to change its course so far. "The numerous American 'blacklists' increasingly repeat each other. It's funny but it is so," he said. "It appears that it has become a sort of national pastime there," Ryabkov said, adding that the latest round of anti-Russian measures was the 60th since 2011.
