Deputy PM says Russia to help companies hurt by US sanctions

MOSCOW, Apr 9 (PRIME) -- The Russian government will support companies hit by the new U.S. sanctions, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich told reporters on Monday.

“There will be support in any case,” Dvorkovich said. “There is constant support of these companies as well. We treat our companies really attentively, they have staff of many thousand people, important workplaces for the country.”

A source cited by Bloomberg said that the support measures have not been defined.

Earlier in April, the U.S. imposed sanctions on 38 Russian tycoons, officials and companies, including Viktor Vekselberg, Oleg Deripaska and Suleiman Kerimov.

In 2014, relations between Russia and the West deteriorated to their worst since the Cold War due to a military conflict in Ukraine. The West introduced sanctions against some Russian individuals and firms and further against the energy and banking sectors. In response, Russia limited food imports from some countries, including the U.S., the E.U., Canada, Australia, and Norway.

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