Russia Issues Stern Warning To U.S. Against Fresh Economic Sanctions, Vows To Strike Back Because Of Ukraine Support Act

Russia has vowed it will not take lightly the fresh economic sanctions the U.S. Congress had unanimously approved on Saturday against it. The Ukraine Support Act of 2014, still up for President Barack Obama's signature, apart from economic sanctions, had also approved extending lethal assistance to Ukraine's military, in what could be taken as a trigger button for Russia to unleash full military war against the U.S. The U.S. had just unleashed a "powerful bomb" that will merit a counter reply.

Alexander Lukashevich, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesman, had described the Ukraine Support Act of 2014 "deeply confrontational," apart from being flatly anti-Russian. Sergei Ryabkov, Russian deputy foreign minister, vowed Moscow will respond to the U.S.' latest "dictatorial" attempts.

The Ukraine Support Act of 2014 authorizes Mr Obama to extend lethal military aid to Ukraine, which the latter had long been asking for. Such lethal military aid could include anti-tank weapons, ammunition and troop-operated surveillance drones.

"Undoubtedly, we will not be able to leave this without a response," Ryabkov told Interfax news agency, noting the passage of the measure maybe legal in the U.S. but not in Russia. Any attempts to "dictate" decisions on Russia "are categorically unacceptable," he said.

It remained uncertain just how Russia will strike back versus Mr Obama's bailiwick. Relations between the two countries had worsened since Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in March. Russia finds it unacceptable that sanctions against it are being lodged by the U.S. and its allies, saying only the United Nations can do such. Lukashevich said Russia "won't succumb to blackmail, won't compromise its national interests and won't allow interference in its internal affairs."

The Ukraine Support Act of 2014 seeks to slap sanctions versus Rosoboronexport, the state agency that promotes Russia's defense exports and arms trade. It also lined out sanctions against OAO Gazprom if it withholds gas supplies to other European nations. The latter is the world's largest extractor of natural gas. The new economic sanctions came up based on allegations by the West that Russia had been seen arming the pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Member-nations in Europe, the region at the very core of Russia's alleged incursion activities, remain uncertain if they will follow in latest footsteps of the U.S. An unidentified European diplomat cited by Bloomberg said the region doesn't want to impose more sanctions "unless Russia escalates its military interference in Ukraine."

Mr Obama had refused extending lethal military aid to Ukraine because it is a non-NATO member. Without really using the term "lethal aid," the Ukraine Support Act of 2014 authorises the U.S. President to "provide defense articles, defense services, and training to the Government of Ukraine for the purpose of countering offensive weapons and reestablishing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including anti-tank and anti-armor weapons, crew weapons and ammunition, counter-artillery radars to identify and target artillery batteries, fire control, range finder, and optical and guidance and control equipment, tactical troop-operated surveillance drones, and secure command and communications equipment, pursuant to the provisions of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.), the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.), and other relevant provisions of law."