Kremlin: it’s understandable lawmakers hitting back on U.S. sanctions

MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Friday that it had not yet closely examined legislation drafted by Russian lawmakers in response to new U.S. sanctions, but that it was understandable that they wanted to retaliate.

Lawmakers said earlier on Friday they had drafted legislation in response to new U.S. sanctions that proposes banning or restricting imports of a raft of U.S. goods and services to Russia and curbing economic ties.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters that any response by Moscow to the sanctions imposed by Washington would not harm Russia’s interests.