Moscow's response was quick.

Russia announced on Friday April 16 its response to new American sanctions, including the expulsion of ten American diplomats and the ban on entry into its territory to senior American officials.

Despite its response, the Kremlin said it was open to the idea of ​​a summit between Russian presidents Vladimir Poutine and American presidents Joe Biden, which it describes as a "positive" proposal made by Washington.

This new exchange of punitive measures comes at a time when relations between the two geopolitical rivals have continued to deteriorate amid accusations by the United States of interference, notably in the 2020 American presidential election, d espionage and cyber attacks.

Washington announced on Thursday April 15 additional sanctions targeting Russia, which include the expulsion of ten Russian diplomats and the prohibition on American banks to buy directly debt issued by this country after June 14.

In response, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced on Friday the upcoming expulsion of ten American diplomats, various restrictions that will make life more complicated at American representations in Russia.

American foundations and NGOs which "openly interfere" in its domestic policy are now also banned on its territory.

Several members of Joe Biden's government will also no longer be authorized by Russia to stay there: these are the ministers of Justice and Homeland Security, the domestic policy adviser, the head of the FBI and the director. intelligence.

Sergey Lavrov also announced that Moscow had "recommended" to the US Ambassador, John Sullivan, to return to Washington "to have extensive and serious consultations there".

The Russian ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, had meanwhile been recalled to Moscow on March 17, for "consultations", after Joe Biden described Vladimir Poutine as a "killer".

According to him, Moscow reserves the right to take other "painful measures" against American companies, but "keeps them in reserve".

Moscow will also expel five Polish diplomats, in response to that of three Russians by Warsaw.

"De-escalation"

As is customary after each wave of sanctions, the Kremlin earlier on Friday called the new US sanctions "unacceptable".

Nevertheless, the Kremlin was rather satisfied with the words of US President Joe Biden, who believes that "the time for de-escalation has come" and deemed necessary a bilateral meeting "this summer in Europe" to "launch a strategic dialogue on stability".

"President Putin (the first) spoke of the need to normalize relations and of a de-escalation," replied the spokesman for the Russian presidency, Dmitry Peskov.

He judged "positive" that the "points of view of the two heads of state coincide".

The Russian Foreign Ministry also announced on Friday that it saw the American idea of ​​a summit between Russian and American presidents "positively".

The proposal is "currently under consideration" in Moscow.

Since coming to power, Joe Biden has promised to be much firmer than his predecessor Donald Trump, accused of appeasing the master of the Kremlin.

But the American president also proposed earlier this week to his Russian counterpart a summit on neutral ground, which Finland and Austria are ready to host.

Tensions around Ukraine

Russia and the United States have seen their relationship deteriorate considerably since 2014 and the Russian annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.

Even under Donald Trump, who made no secret of appreciating Vladimir Putin, Washington has stepped up the sanctions.

Those announced Thursday are a response to the gigantic cyberattack of 2020, of which Russia has been accused and which used as a vector SolarWinds, an American software publisher whose product was hacked to introduce a loophole in its users, including several federal agencies. American.

Directly questioned by Washington, Russian foreign intelligence spoke of "delusions".

This Russian-American ballet comes at a time of growing Russian-Ukrainian tensions, with Ukraine accusing Moscow of seeking a casus belli to invade it and Russia claiming that Kiev is preparing an offensive against pro-Russian separatists in the east of Ukraine.

With AFP

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