The Kremlin has said the UK’s threats to introduce economic sanctions against Russian companies and oligarchs linked to President Vladimir Putin were alarming and such actions would backfire by hurting British companies.
The British government said it would sanction businesses and people with the closest links to Mr Putin if Russia takes any action against Ukraine.
“We are very clear that if Russia takes further action against the Ukraine, then we will further tighten the sanctions regime targeting those businesses and people with the closest links to the Kremlin,” Simon Clarke, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, told Sky News.
New legislation will be brought in this week to broaden the scope of sanctions the UK can apply to Russia to try to deter aggression towards Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Sunday.
Britain has imposed sanctions on about 180 people and 48 entities since Russia annexed Crimea form Ukraine in 2014.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the threat was an attack on Russian businesses, undermined Britain’s investment climate and inflamed tensions in Europe.
Russia will respond to any such action in a way that would be based on its interests, Mr Peskov told a briefing.
The United States, the European Union and Britain have warned Mr Putin against attacking Ukraine.
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Source : skynews
