PRESS RELEASE
Ryabkov: Russia Considering All Options for Retaliating Against U.S. Sanctions
July 31, 2017 (EIRNS)—Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, in remarks to ABC’s "This Week" yesterday, that were very different from the measured statements of Russian President Vladimir Putin to VGTRK host Vladimir Solovyov yesterday, blasted the Iran-Russia sanctions bill as "a completely weird and unacceptable piece of legislation" that was "the last drop."
"If the U.S. side decides to move further towards further deterioration, we will answer, we will respond in kind. We will mirror this. We will retaliate,"
he continued. He wouldn’t say what measures Russia would take, however. "We have a very rich toolbox at our disposal. It would be ridiculous on my part to start speculating on what may or may not happen," he said.
"We are not gamblers. We are people who consider things very seriously and very responsibly. But I can assure you that different options are on the table and consideration is being given to all sorts of things, both symmetrical or asymmetrical, to use a very popular word in the world of diplomacy."
Dmitry Peskov, following up on Putin’s interview, said this morning that any improvement in U.S.-Russian relations will require political will from the U.S. side.
"A way out of this situation [in Russian-U.S. relations] lies through the political will to mend relations," he said.
"Also, there must be rehabilitation from political schizophrenia, a declared intention to normalize these relations, and an end to the diktat and sanctions,"
Peskov added, reported Tass. He pointed out that despite the current situation, President Vladimir Putin "emphasized our interest to go ahead with cooperation there [i.e., with the United States] where it agrees with our interests."
