Russia warns of retaliation over new Western "blackmail" sanctions

 • Russia warns of retaliation after the United States and EU announced fresh sanctions against the country.

 • Russia was also "disappointed" that the EU had decided to follow suit and had "yielded to U.S. blackmail."

 • Putin said the sanctions would have a "boomerang effect" and push U.S.-Russian relations into a dead end.

MOSCOW, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry said here Thursday that Russia would retaliate "asymmetrically but painfully," after the United States and the European Union (EU) announced fresh sanctions against the country.

"We are not going to tolerate blackmail and reserve the right to take measures in response," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement said the sanctions, imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department Wednesday and targeting individuals and major Russian firms in the financial, energy and arms sectors, are a "primitive attempt to take revenge for the fact that events in Ukraine are not unfolding in line with Washington's scenario."

Russia was also "disappointed" that the EU had decided to follow suit and had "yielded to the U.S. blackmail."

The statement said the EU's move was "fraught with problems not only for Russia, but for the EU member states themselves, many of which are experiencing serious economic problems."

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax news agency earlier Thursday that Moscow was mulling taking measures "painful and acute enough for Washington."

He said Russia had not been pursuing immediate effect, nor would its response be symmetrical.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is currently in Brazil, said the sanctions would have a "boomerang effect" and push U.S.-Russian relations into a dead end, but Moscow was still open for dialogue.

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