The Russian president has commented on the reports that the US administration released on Monday the list that includes 114 Russian politicians and 96 businessmen who may face new US sanctions in future.
Commenting on the release of the report, President Putin joked he was "sad" that he hadn't been on the list, adding that he only heard of the document from his colleagues but didn't see it.
"We [Russia] need most of all to think about ourselves, we need to deal with our economy, agriculture, we need to support export, health, education, defense," Putin noted, saying Russia needs to focus on internal development rather than on list prepared by foreign states. If Russia is developed, he added, there will be a common understanding there is no point "in compelling any lists, threatening [Russia] or trying to deter our development."
The Russian president went on to say that the report represents an unfriendly step by the US administration, saying that it harms Moscow-Washington relations. Putin pointed out that that people behind the report are attacking own government, by pushing it toward confrontation with Moscow.
Despite that, Moscow will refrain from retaliatory measures and will act in accordance with the development of the situation, Putin added, saying that Russia is in favor of development of relations with the US
The US Treasury Department published the document, which has been dubbed by media "the Kremlin report," on Monday. It is a list of most senior 114 Russian politicians and 96 businessmen who could be sanctioned by the US administration in future. It includes ten Russian ministers, such as Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov among other high-profile officials.
Among business people, philanthropist Oleg Deripaska, businessmen Vladimir Bogdanov and Filaret Galchev, as well as Magnit retailer founder Sergey Galitsky and LUKoil Vice President Leonid Fedun were dubbed "oligarchs" and added to the list.
The report was prepared on the request of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which was made by the US Congress last July and signed into law by President Trump in early August.
