Russia says new US sanctions illegal, demands explanations
New US sanctions imposed earlier against Deputy Minister of Energy of Russia Andrey Cherezov and Head of department of this Ministry Evgeniy Grabchak are illegal, said Russian Minister of Energy Alexander Novak, adding that the Ministry would wait for clarifications from the US, TASS reports.
According to Novak, no arguments about the introduction of sanctions were provided. “People are working, performing their functions, government functions, they continue working and such prohibitions only create additional stress,” Novak explained.
On January 26, the US Treasury Department imposed new sanctions against Russian companies and individuals who were involved in supplying Siemens turbines to the Crimea. The restrictions affected 12 organizations that, according to Washington, are related to Surgutneftegas that has been sanctioned by the USA and European Union since 2014, and also to the Power Machines Company and Rostec-owned Technopromexport.
Among those, who are subject to the new US sanctions, are Andrey Cherezov, the Head of Department of Operational Control And Management In Electric Power Industry Evgeniy Grabchak and General Director of JSC Technopromexport, involved in construction of power stations in the Crimea and the delivery of the turbines, Sergey Topor-Gilka and others. The US Treasury stated that new sanctions were imposed “due to the conflict in Ukraine and also the occupation of the Crimea by Russia”.
Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Arkady Dvorkovich compared the new restrictive measures of the USA with a game of cards, noting that sanctions are just harmful and will not bring positive outcomes for the world and the USA itself. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the pretext under which new sanctions were imposed is “contrived.”