UPDATE 2: Russia not to shy away from anything to call US to order

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MOSCOW/NOVO-OGARYOVO, Moscow Region, Jul 28 (PRIME) -- Russia may take any measures to call the U.S. to order, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters on Friday.

“We do not rule out any steps to, let’s say, make the presumptuous Russophobes, who have the upper hand on the Capitol Hill and dictate such decisions, bring to senses,” Ryabkov said.

He said that the measures that Russia can consider does not come down to restrictions on the number of diplomats or to access to property of the U.S. embassy in Russia.

Late on Thursday, the U.S. Senate approved a bill on new sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives earlier this week, and it will come in force if signed by the president.

The Russian Foreign Ministry asked the U.S. to reduce the number of its diplomats to 455 until September 1 to make their number even with the Russian diplomats in the U.S.

“We suggest that the American side bring the number of diplomatic and technical employees working in the U.S. embassy in Moscow, general consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok to absolute equality with the number of Russian diplomats and members of the technical team which work in the U.S. until September 1,” the ministry said in a statement.

The authority also said that in case of reduction of the number of Russian diplomats in the U.S., Moscow will retaliate symmetrically.

The ministry said that the new U.S. sanctions draft is blackmail aimed at curtailing relations with Russia and demonstrates that the relations are a hostage to infighting in Washington.

“The adoption of the new sanctions law has showed very clearly that relations with Russia have become a hostage to political fighting in the U.S.,” the ministry said.

“Besides, the new law is aimed at creating unfair competitive advantages for the U.S. in the global economy. Such blackmail is aimed at limiting interaction between foreign partners and Russia bear a threat for many countries and international business.”

Ryabkov said that the draft law was a tool to intimidate the whole world for its unwillingness to follow U.S. policies.

“I hope that this kind of assessment will be reflected in my foreign colleagues’ behavior, if not words. We already see the signs of worry and concern about this American policy, the policy of dictatorship and imposing its will on the rest of the international community,” he said.

Ryabkov warned the U.S. that Moscow will watch for its reaction to Russia’s Friday’s measures.

A source told PRIME that Russia is worried by the fact that the new bill includes norms that threaten implementation of the Nord Stream-2 and Turkish Stream pipeline projects. “We see a direct threat to implementation of these large projects. It is done under the guise of improving energy security and energy supplies of Europe, but in fact it is contrary to that,” the source said.

“Construction of new gas infrastructure significantly cuts risks of transit via Ukraine, so if there is new infrastructure, there is a risk that Ukraine drops from the chain.”

Russia has information that there are American companies that want to enter the gas transportation system of Ukraine and “occupy a place between the supplier – Russia – and the consumer – Western European countries. And to do it to acquire more points of influence in addition to the economic benefit,” the source said.

“All these plans fall apart if the new pipelines emerge. Hence the protectionism,” the source said, adding that the bill consists of barely covered protectionism that has a trans-border impact.

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