Russia’s Ambassador Says Sanctions Hurt U.S. ‘Credibility’

The sanctions that the U.S. has imposed in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine could hurt American efforts to cooperate with Moscow in the future, the Kremlin ambassador in Washington warned on Monday.

"The credibility of the U.S. as a partner on a number of long-term issues is going to be diminished,” Sergey Kislyak said at a Russia-related conference on Capitol Hill. "It’s difficult to be critical of the United States, but I simply will,” said Mr. Kislyak, 63, who has represented Russia abroad since the time of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

After Russia moved to annex the Ukraine’s breakaway Crimea region, the U.S. imposed sanctions on a range of high-ranking Russian officials and some business leaders connected with the Kremlin.

President Barack Obama and U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said this month that Russia could face more serious economic sanctions targeting parts of Russian industries if Moscow doesn’t take steps in coming weeks to stabilize eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists are fighting against Kiev’s military.

Some U.S. and European companies have also warned that strict sanctions could rebound, with an economic impact back home. Still, U.S. officials say most business leaders recognize that national security concerns come first.

The U.S. Treasury Department is working to looking to target the international financial connections of Russian firms in ways that won’t cause extensive fallout to businesses in the U.S. or Europe.

Mr. Kislyak argued that it’s "not possible” to bring Russia into isolation because Russia is increasingly part of the world economy.

blogs.wsj.com