Russia sanctions the US, Minister Lavrov talks about the “unprecedented” move

The statement said the move was taken “in response to the steadily increasing US sanctions against politicians, citizens, and representatives of Russian businesses”.

According to the AP, Russia’s sanctions list includes officials, former and current top managers of large US companies, such as Finance Secretary Janet Yellen, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Directors. White House communications Kate Bedingfield and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.

The list of sanctions just announced by Russia against the US includes Finance Minister Janet Yellen. Photo: Reuters

The Russian Foreign Ministry also confirmed that the West was the reason for the cancellation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Serbia.

Minister Lavrov had previously scheduled talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade on June 6. However, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro have closed their airspace to the plane expected to carry Mr. Lavrov, according to the newspaper Vesernje Novosti.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the move also means “another closed channel of dialogue”.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Photo: EPA

For his part, Lavrov said that closing the airspace to his plane was an “unprecedented” move and that he would invite his Serbian counterpart Nikola Selakovic to Moscow.

“If a visit to Serbia by the Russian Foreign Minister is seen by the West as something related to a threat on a global scale, the situation in the West is clearly quite bad,” Minister Lavorv said.

Serbia’s Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin said he regretted that Lavrov’s visit was “obstructed”. According to Minister Vulin, Mr. Lavrov has practically proven to be “a great friend of Serbia”.