The U.S. decision to impose new sanctions on Russia is an unfriendly move and inconsistent with the constructive atmosphere created after the recent Putin-Trump meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
"We consider it absolutely unacceptable to link the new restrictive measures that we still consider illegal to the Salisbury case," Peskov told a daily briefing.
"We once again most emphatically reject any accusations in the context of a possible involvement of the Russian state in what happened in Salisbury," he added.
The U.S. State Department said Wednesday that Washington will impose new sanctions on Russia over the alleged poison attack on ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the British city of Salisbury in March.
Western countries claim the pair were exposed to a nerve agent and hold Russia responsible, while the Russian government has repeatedly denied any involvement in the case and demanded direct participation in the investigation.
"Following a 15-day Congressional notification period, these sanctions will take effect upon publication of a notice in the Federal Register, expected on or around August 22, 2018," U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said, giving no details of the restrictive measures.
Peskov said it is premature to talk about retaliation as the Kremlin has yet to officially confirm particular U.S. sanctions.
He said Russia still hopes that it will be possible to build constructive relations with the United States "because these relations are in the interests not only of our two peoples but also of strategic stability and security worldwide."
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump last month in Helsinki, during which the two leaders voiced their satisfaction with the meeting as a "very constructive" one marking the "first important step" towards better ties.
