The response from Russia was not delayed, as the US administration imposed new sanctions on Russia's 5 institutions and 19 citizens on the grounds that they interfered with the 2016 presidential elections with cyber attacks.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov announced that Russia will expand its "blacklist" of American citizens in return for a new sanction resolution.

Reminding that the sanctions against Washington will be made on the basis of reciprocity, Sergei Ryabkov said additional measures would not be ignored.

Ryabkov voiced Moscow's desire to maintain the dialogue with Washington, but that some people in the US, who want to destroy relations with Russia, "play with fire."

The US administration added Russian Intelligence Service (FSB), Russian Military Intelligence Service (GRU), Internet Research Agency (IRA) Russian firm that produces cybercrime content and including Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin, who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the total of 19 people and 5 institutions to the list of financial sanctions.

After the murder attempt on double agent Sergey Skripal and his daughter Yulia with Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, England, on March 4, 2018, first, there were tensions in London-Moscow line, and then hard statements and new sanctions came from Washington.

ILKHA