Iran Press/Europe: US companies will benefit from sanctions covering dollar-denominated settlements over the short term, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Komsomolskaya Pravda radio station on Monday.
"However long-term faith in the dollar is undermined," the minister said, "which also adversely affects America's basic long-term interests since today everyone starts thinking how not to be dependent on the US dollar."
Russia’s top diplomat also pointed to US sanctions imposed against EU countries over their cooperation with Iran.
"There are no laws prohibiting cooperation with Iran in France or Germany, and when European companies carry on absolutely legal business operations, they are slapped with multi-billion dollar fines and penalties by the US. That is a purely hostile act," he emphasized.
On 22 September, Russia's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov said the sanctions were aimed at Russian defence organisations, politicians and businessmen.
Sergei Ryabkov added: "It would be good for them to recall the notion of global stability, which they recklessly upset by whipping up tensions in Russia-US relations."
On 21 September, Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said his country was working on ways of reducing its' dependence on the US and the dollar system.
On 22 August, Washington further imposed sanctions on two Russians, one Russian company and one Slovakian company for aiding another Russian firm in avoiding sanctions over the country’s alleged cyber-related activities.
The US on August 21 also imposed sanctions on two Russian shipping companies and six ships over claims of transferring refined petroleum products to North Korean vessels. 103 / 211
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