WASHINGTON, July 18 (RIA Novosti) - While US sanctions against Russian energy companies limit their fundraising opportunities, the restrictions specifically avoid curtailing core activities of export and maintaining joint ventures, US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said.
"In the energy sector we took steps to limit the ability of certain companies to raise dollar financing but we have not tried to interfere with their ability to export oil and gas or maintain the existing joint ventures. So we take into account any impact on the US businesses, US consumers as we take these decisions," Psaki told the press, explaining the cautious design of the extended US sanctions against Russia.
Commenting on the move, head of Russia's oil major Rosneft Igor Sechin said that the introduction of additional restrictions against Russia will ultimately damage American companies themselves, while Russia’s largest independent gas producer Novatek issued a statement saying that the extended sanctions have no ground and will hardly affect the economic activity of the company.
On Wednesday, the US Treasury introduced a so-called Sectoral Sanctions Identification List that affects companies and institutions in the defense, energy and banking sectors of the Russian economy over their role in the Ukrainian crisis. The entities on the extended list include Russia’s Almaz-Antey corporation and Kalashnikov in the defense sector, Novatek and Rosneft in the energy sector, and Vneshekonombank and Gasprombank in the banking sector.
Following the news on US sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that they could bring the US-Russian ties to a dead end. Moscow also said that by resorting to such measures the White House is effectively inciting bloodshed in eastern Ukraine, instead of forcing the Ukrainian leadership to stop using artillery and armored vehicles against civilians.
