Kremlin Calls New Possible US Sanctions 'Illegal'

TEHRAN (defapress) - Moscow will consider new possible sanctions by Washington as part of the Salisbury case as illegal, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

News ID: 73550

Date: 07 November 2018 - 19:28

"We view these restrictions slapped by the US against Russia as illegal and therefore we will treat similar steps in the same way if they follow," Peskov said when commenting on Moscow’s reaction to new US sanctions, which may be introduced in connection with the Skripal poisoning case.

US Department of State Spokesperson Heather Nauert said earlier Washington was set to act in accordance with the law on chemical and biological weapons that stipulates imposing another package of sanctions against Russia.

According to the US diplomat, the Department of State informed the US Congress on Tuesday that it "could not certify that the Russian Federation met the conditions required by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991."

Moscow is in favor of a dialogue with Washington to solve the existing problems but so far it sees no bright prospects for normalizing bilateral relations, he said, Tass news agency reported.

According to Peskov, it is up to the Americans themselves to decide whether the domestic political situation in the US improved or deteriorated after the elections, and Kremlin has "no desire whatsoever to intervene there."

"One can assume with a high degree of confidence that, of course, no bright prospects for normalizing Russian-American relations are in the offing," the Kremlin spokesman said when asked about relations between the two countries’ leaders after the November 6 midterm elections in the US.

"That does not mean, however, that we seek no dialogue, that we want no dialogue, because we have numerous problems that require Russian-American intercommunication. These are the problems of strategic stability and arms control. These problems will not be solved by themselves without maintaining a dialogue," Peskov concluded.

When asked whether the outcome of the US elections could further exacerbate bilateral relations, the Kremlin spokesman noted that "It would hardly be possible to make them even more complicated." He stressed that, in spite of all the phobias existing in the US, Russia has never meddled in the electoral processes in any country, including the United States, and has no intention of doing so in the future."

According to the results of the US midterms held on Tuesday, the Democratic Party has won the majority of seats in the House of Representatives, while the Republican Party will retain and strengthen control of the Senate.

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