Russia will fight back against any new U.S. sanctions over the crisis in Ukraine, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Saturday.
Congress is set to levy new sanctions on Russian weapons companies and investors in high-tech oil projects, but President Obama has yet to sign a corresponding bill into law, Reuters reported Saturday.
“We will not be able to leave that without an answer,” Mr. Ryabkov said, Reuters reported. He did not make clear what actions Russia would take against new sanctions.
Tensions are high between the U.S. and Russia after the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in March and the country’s support of pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Russia continues to deny that it has armed rebels in Ukraine, but the U.S. together with the European Union imposed several rounds of economic sanctions on Russian individuals and large companies.
The Kremlin retaliated to some of the earlier sanctions by restricting food imports from western countries, but the sanctions have taken a toll on the country’s economy while the ruble tumbled to a record low this week.
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• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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