“This, of course, is rudeness”

New sanctions initiatives by GOP representatives in the US House of Representatives are not yet a registered bill. The proposal to impose additional restrictions on Russia, Iran and China, which in their rigidity exceed all previously introduced ones, is contained in the report “Strengthening America and Countering External Threats”.

Russian authorities have already responded to the initiative of American congressmen. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested that this initiative still will not be implemented. “We hope that these plans will remain at the level of statements and will not materialize in any way,” he said, adding that the US sanctions policy is contrary to international law.

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, commented on the information, to put it mildly, mockingly: “We have long been accustomed to such statements by individual representatives of the American political class who are trying to increase their own recognition, which I think is simply recognizable in the wake of Russophobia.”

Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the State Duma’s international affairs committee, expressed bewilderment at the paragraph on recognition of Russia as a “state sponsor of terrorism” contained in the report. According to him, Russia "is fighting terrorism on all fronts, unlike the United States, which continues to flirt with terrorist gangs in Syria, calling them moderate opposition." And according to Maria Zakharova, "this, of course, is rudeness."

American congressmen should think about whether their sanctions are really harmful to the countries against which they are imposed. We all remember the arrogant, but devoid of any real basis, words of Barack Obama about the “torn to shreds” of the Russian economy. It has been many years since they sounded, and Russia, despite the extremely unfavorable international situation due to the coronavirus pandemic, continues to develop and live.

In general, the whole story once again suggests that the Americans do not want to get rid of the habit of considering themselves masters of the planet.

It seems to them that they have the right to punish or pardon individual peoples and countries. The problem is that no one endowed them with such an exclusive right, it was simply appropriated without any reason. Dmitry Peskov is absolutely right when speaking about the extra-legal nature of the US sanctions policy.

There is another aspect that indicates the complete inhumanity of such actions and decisions. Washington is dissatisfied with the authorities of China, Russia and Iran. But introducing certain restrictions against these countries, it worsens the living conditions not of individual politicians, but of the whole people. That is, in fact, everyone is punished, including those who, even from the point of view of America, are not responsible for the policies of these countries. If someone’s economy was really “torn to shreds,” then it would hit everyone. The complete lack of mercy and concern for a person is a characteristic feature of American foreign policy.

Well, another important point, which, by the way, in Europe, many have already noticed. This was repeatedly said by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sanctions forced Russia to gather and very seriously contributed to just strengthening its economic sector. In the absence of the ability to purchase certain goods on foreign markets, it was necessary to master the production of analogues at home. So, if there were no sanctions, they should be thought up. Rather, we should be grateful to all those who, under the strict guidance of the United States, tried to doom us to stagnation. They did us a great service, forcing us to launch an import substitution program.

The author’s point of view may not coincide with the position of the publisher.