Russia has summoned U.S. Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan for “harsh talks” after Washington widened economic sanctions and ordered diplomatic expulsions in retaliation to what it calls Moscow’s malign behavior, Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced Thursday.
Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the ministry would like to speak with Sullivan less than an hour after President Joe Biden ordered restrictions on U.S. banks buying new Russian government debt, sent home 10 diplomats who include alleged spies and sanctioned 32 people with alleged ties to 2020 election interference.
“The U.S. ambassador has been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry,” Interfax quoted Zakharova as saying to reporters before vowing an “inevitable” retaliation.
“The conversation will be harsh for the American side.”
The back-to-back announcements come two days after Biden called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin with an offer to hold a summit on neutral ground amid tensions over Russia’s troop buildup near Ukraine.
Zakharova reiterated at Thursday’s weekly briefing the Kremlin’s assertions that its military movements are non-threatening and placed the onus for deteriorating ties on the U.S.
“Washington must realize that it will have to pay a price for degrading bilateral relations. The responsibility for what is happening lies entirely on the United States,” she said.
“Such aggressive behavior will certainly receive a firm response and the retaliation to sanctions will be inevitable.”
Russian media reported Tuesday that the Kremlin had already summoned Sullivan to warn him about retaliation to the anticipated sanctions.
Russia’s Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov has been in Moscow for nearly a month after being recalled following Biden’s televised remarks calling Putin a “killer.”
Antonov’s summoning for emergency talks on the future of U.S.-Russian relations was an unprecedented step in recent diplomatic history.
(c)MOSCOW TIMES 2021
“Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the ministry would like to speak with Sullivan less than an hour after President Joe Biden ordered restrictions on U.S. banks buying new Russian government debt”
So tell me whore, how are Russia going to retaliate against that? Placing thousands on military on the border of Ukraine certainly didn’t stop the sanctions, as some people claim that was reason for the military buildup.
[…] Russia Summons U.S. Envoy for ‘Harsh Talks’ on New Sanctions […]
Yevgeny Prigozhin said he was being sanctioned for his “humanitarian actions” in Africa.
Killing innocent people are humanitarian actions in Russian minds.
Not mentioned in this article, but one of the guys sanctioned is this piece of crap.
“One of the people sanctioned by the U.S. government on Thursday for election interference is Konstantin Kilimnik, a Ukrainian-Russian political operative who worked closely for years with former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.”
When the mafiosi want to have harsh talks with us, we have done something right. This is finally some good news from Biden.
A nice side benefit:
“News of the measures sparked a sell-off in Russian assets…”
“The fresh sanctions ban US financial institutions from trading in newly issued Russian state debt, known as OFZs, and bonds issued by the Russian central bank and National Wealth Fund. The ban affects debt issued after June 14.
Measures targeting new state debt have long been viewed as a “nuclear option” for the US and a milestone in Washington’s sanctions regime against Russia…”
https://www.ft.com/content/b2bf1be3-a10c-4963-9deb-8a6b319e9363