In retaliation for Russia continuing to support its ally Syria, the US has unveiled a new round of sanctions against the country. Russian President Vladimir Putin says that the new measures will make relations tougher, but will not harm the country in any significant way.

“Of course, it remains to be seen what it leads to in the end. But whatever happens, whatever decisions they take across the ocean, it will not bring us to a dead end,” the president told Vesti on a Saturday program.

The sanctions are a part of an amendment to an anti-Iran bill by the US Senate. The bill would prevent current US president Donald Trump from lifting any sanctions against Russia without the authorization of Congress. The bill also imposes the new sanctions.

When speaking to the media Putin seemed unphased by the new sanctions saying that the country, “will probably have to make some policy corrections and take some new measures.” He also added that they posed no risk of causing an economic collapse.

Several European countries expressed concern over the new sanctions as they may hinder foreign cooperation with energy projects such as the NordStream 2 gas pipeline. The US seems to show no concern for countries which are their allies which will be harmed by such measures.

“We generally reject sanctions with extra-territorial effects, meaning an impact on third countries,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, told the media on Friday.

The move seems to be another act of economic competition. The US is currently investing a great deal of money in building up an infrastructure in liquefied natural gas (LNG). These investments would make it possible to deliver LNG to Europe. New sanctions harm the current delivery system set up by Russia and other European countries, Germany, France, and Austria. The sanctions undercut the investment by Russia and other other European countries to give a market advantage to the US.

Source: https://www.rt.com/news/392791-putin-us-sanctions-relations/