Russia
is reportedly working to cut back its dependence on U.S. payment
systems and the use of the American dollar as a settling currency,
signaling the Kremlin is taking further retaliatory measures in response
to new U.S. sanctions.
"We will, of course,
intensify work related to import substitution, reduction of dependence
on U.S. payment systems, on the dollar as a settling currency and so on.
It is becoming a vital need," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov
said Monday, according to a Reuters report that cited the RIA news agency.
The report comes after Secretary of State Rex TillersonRex Wayne TillersonTillerson avoids contact with North Korean envoy Top Russian official: US, Moscow ready to have further dialogue following sanctions Tillerson, Russian foreign minister meet in Manila: Interfax MORE and
his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, had their
first bilateral meeting following the Russia sanctions bill that
President Trump signed into law last week.
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The
new U.S. financial penalties come in response to Russia's military
actions in Ukraine, where it is supporting armed separatists, and
its meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Russia
called the measure a "fully fledged trade war" and issued its own
retaliatory response: demanding the reduction of U.S. diplomatic
personnel by 750 by Sept. 1 and planning to take over diplomatic
property previously used by the U.S.
The news
wire's report of Russia moving away from U.S. economic systems is a sign
of further steps Russia is taking in response to the sanctions.
Trump
also lashed out at lawmakers for endorsing the sanctions measure while
blaming Congress for fostering a tense relationship with Moscow.
“By
limiting the executive’s flexibility, this bill makes it harder for the
United States to strike good deals for the American people, and will
drive China, Russia and North Korea much closer together,” Trump said
Wednesday.“Our relationship with Russia is at an all-time & very dangerous low. You can thank Congress, the same people that can't even give us [healthcare]!” he tweeted a day later.
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