US, Russia "Not the Signal We Expected" in Response to Additional Sanctions Policy

US Announces Additional Sanctions Related to Navalny

Anatoly Antonov, Russian Ambassador to the United States
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Following the US announcement that it is preparing new sanctions against Russia related to the assassination attempt on Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny after the summit with Russia, Russian diplomatic authorities have shown a perplexed response.

Anatoly Antonov, Russian Ambassador to the US, on the 20th (local time), regarding the US's announcement of additional sanctions shortly after the summit between the two countries' leaders, stated, "This is not the signal we expected."

He told his country's press at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on the same day, "I believe it is impossible to stabilize and normalize bilateral relations through sanctions."

Ambassador Antonov pointed out that "it is necessary to restore the damaged dialogue mechanism," and that sanctions would not lead to positive outcomes.

Antonov returned on this day after having gone back to his country amid worsening relations between the two countries, including President Joe Biden calling President Vladimir Putin a "killer" in March. This return was in accordance with the recent agreement at the summit to reinstate the ambassadors of both countries.

Earlier, Jake Sullivan, US National Security Advisor, stated in an interview with CNN on the 20th that additional sanctions related to the Navalny assassination attempt are being prepared.

Sullivan also said that the US will maintain sanctions on Russian entities involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

This project is a gas pipeline construction project to send Russian natural gas to Germany, and the US has opposed it, arguing that if the pipeline is completed, Europe's energy dependence on Russia will increase.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.