Moscow sees US anti-Russia sanctions unpromising: Russian FM

Moscow Jan 22 (IANS) The sanctions imposed on Russia by the US are groundless and will not affect Moscow s foreign policy Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.

"We consider that the sanctions are imposed absolutely without any grounds as for the reasons behind them... Russia s honest open and constructive policy cannot be changed by them " Lavrov said in an interview with a newspaper on Sunday Xinhua reported.

Lavrov s remarks are in response to the upcoming release of two reports by the US presidential administration concerning backgrounds of high-ranking Russian officials and the feasibility of imposing new economic sanctions on Moscow.

The minister said that Russia s foreign policy is based on the country s national interests and will not submit to foreign pressure.

"The fact that our foreign policy enjoys a broad support in society is the best evidence that the attempt to change our foreign policy by putting pressure on our elites and certain companies is unpromising " he said.

In August 2017 US President Donald Trump signed into law a new package of sanctions against Russia. Unlike previous sanctions bills the new legislation grants US lawmakers power to block Trump from unilaterally lifting the sanctions.

Washington s relationship with Moscow has been sour for some time amid disagreements involving the war in Syria the conflict in Ukraine and the Kremlin s alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections among others.

--IANS
pgh/