Russia assesses the new sanctions bill as an unfriendly step by the United States, Russian President's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
"We are monitoring the development of the situation around this document. The introduction of any additional sanctions will inevitably complicate efforts aimed at a peaceful settlement of the issue in Ukraine," he noted.
Earlier, the US House of Representatives approved a bill on new restrictive measures named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham. The document provides for tariffs of up to 500% on imports coming directly from Russia, and up to 100% on goods from five countries that purchase Russian energy resources most actively.
After several amendments were introduced, a section concerning Iran was added to the bill. It proposes extending sanctions against Tehran until 2031 — an initiative supported by Donald Trump.
The US administration is obliged to impose most of the tariffs no later than 30 days after the measure enters into force. Currently, the bill has been sent to the president for signature.
If approved, the White House will be granted the authority to exempt from or reduce the mandatory duty in cases deemed necessary from a national security standpoint.