Islam Times - Russia Running Out of Patience, will Retaliate US Sanctions: President Putin

Islam Times - Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is running out of patience will have to retaliate to cynical US sanctions imposed on the country.

"As you know, our behavior is very restrained, patient, but at some point we will have to come up with a response. It is impossible to endlessly endure impudence towards our country,” Putin said on Thursday.

On Tuesday, the latest package of sanctions, targeting Russia’s major defense, mining, shipping and railway industries, was passed by the US House of Representatives.

The restrictions also include penalties on European companies engaged in joint EU-Russia energy projects, with the Gazprom-run Nord Stream 2 flagship pipeline being the most probable target of renewed sanctions.

Putin noted that the new US sanctions against Russia are “extremely cynical,” while accusing Washington of using its political advantage for business purposes.

If the US implements new sanctions against Russia, “it will be particularly regrettable because this would be an act of aggravation and exceptional cynicism,” Putin said.

“It's an obvious attempt [by the US] to use its geopolitical advantages in the competitive struggle with the goal of ensuring its economic interests at the expense of its other allies,” he added.

According to Putin, the extraterritorial application of US legislation is unacceptable as it leads to the collapse of the system of international relations.

“As for the extraterritorial nature of the US legislation, I have been talking about this for a long time, starting from 2007… This practice is unacceptable, it destroys international relations and international law,” he said.

“We’ve never agreed to this and will never agree. As for how other states react to this, it depends on the degree of their sovereignty and their readiness to defend their own national interests,” Putin stressed.