The foreign Ministry promised to reduce dependence on the dollar as settlement currency
In response to new US sanctions Russia will try to reduce dependence on the U.S. payment system and the dollar as the settlement currency. In early August, Donald trump signed the bill on new sanctions.
Deputy foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov in an interview to the magazine “international life” has listed a number of measures that Russia intends to take in response to new US sanctions.
“Of course, we will strengthen the work related to import substitution, reducing some dependence on the U.S. payment system, the dollar as the settlement currency and so forth,” Ryabkov said, adding that it was “an absolute necessity” (quoted by “RIA Novosti”).
However, he expressed the hope that “confrontation will not come to” Washington and Moscow will work toward the normalization of relations, or try to find a way, “how to minimize the damage from the incident”.
While Ryabkov, speaking on the restoration of relations with the United States, assured that it is “really about the action that will have long-term consequences.” He recalled that for the lifting of sanctions would require the consent of both houses of Congress. “To get rid of this it will be very difficult and time will leave much, it is a fact”, — he stressed.
While U.S. foreign policy during the administration of Donald trump Ryabkov described as “the continuation of the worst of the heritage of Obama.”
“It turns out that we have continuity in foreign policy for the us, Russia, rather negative,” he added.
In conclusion, Ryabkov noted that relations between Russia and the United States “did not pass the test of strength,” and the majority in Congress “imposed their will on the administration.”
On 2 August President of the United States Donald trump signed the law on new sanctions against Russia, North Korea and Syria. Document before it was approved by both houses of Congress.