Russia derides fresh sanctions posed by US, says the move reflects West's 'inefficiency'

The sanction imposed by the collective West in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine demonstrates the "inefficiency and absurdity" more clearly, the Russian Embassy in Washington said on Thursday, January 26. The impact of sanctions slapped by the foreign entrepreneurs and companies will be felt by the foreign entities first, the embassy noted. "Constant expansion of restrictive measures" and "constantly shrinking" opportunities will force many other nations to strengthen their cooperation with Russian enterprises. Russia will foster new trade ties and establish new business contacts, the embassy stressed adding that it will depend on an "honest approach while maintaining market, competitive conditions for doing business."

"The US keeps 'brandishing' with their illegitimate sanctions threats. Another 'portion' of restrictions against Russia was announced on January 26th. With each new wave of economic barriers, the inefficiency and absurdity of this approach become more obvious," the embassy wrote in a Telegram post. 

Russia's market is still attractive: Embassy 

Despite the barrage of sanctions, Russia has been successfully resisting attempts to mirror similar conduct as projected by the rival United States. "Stress checks" are not new to us, the embassy stated. Russia's market is still attractive, it concluded, adding that Moscow will make deals with the new foreign investors and will adapt to new conditions. The Russian embassy slammed the United States' designation of PMC Wagner as a criminal organization, imposing sanctions on the companies and individuals linked to the paramilitary organization involved in the war against Ukraine. The US accused Wagner of human rights abuses, including in Syria and Africa. The Russian embassy derided the US for declaring Wagner as a "transnational criminal organization" and freezing the assets of the group. 

Russia's President Vladimir Putin had earlier evoked the topic of sanctions in Minsk, saying that the sanctions against Moscow by the unfriendly Western nations have “boomeranged." The embargoes have harmed the West’s own ordinary citizens, Putin declared, adding that "it is obvious to everyone that such restrictions have boomeranged and it is not those who invent the sanctions that suffer, but ordinary people and businesses." Russia's president had slammed the West for its colonial arrogance and trying to crush Russia with “stupid” sanctions which he described as the economic “blitzkrieg”.