US Sanctions Powerless To Sway Russia's Foreign, Domestic Policies - Ambassador

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd June, 2021) The United States will fail to achieve positive results if it chooses to impose new sanctions on Russia which has proven that threats and blackmail are powerless to sway its foreign and domestic policies, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told reporters.

"If the United States chooses to continue discussions through sanctions, this will not lead to a positive result. In recent years... when hundreds of sanctions were slapped on Russia, we proved that we can live and work securely. Sanctions are helpless to affect Russia's foreign policy as well as its domestic policy," Antonov said.

On Sunday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that a new package of sanctions is in the works over alleged poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny.

"I think they should focus on solving existing problems rather than trying to threaten the Russian Federation. One can hardly rely on threats, blackmail and sanctions to make Moscow revise its foreign and domestic policies," Antonov said.

He returned to Washington, DC, after three months of consultations in Russia with his US counterpart John Sullivan expected to travel to Moscow later this week following an agreement reached by Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden to reinstate ambassadors in both capitals.