The Kremlin has said that plans by the British government to impose fresh sanctions on Moscow would inflame European tensions as fears continue to rise over a potential war in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said the threat was an attack on Russian businesses, and undermined Britain’s investment climate.
At the weekend, the UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Russian oligarchs in London would be hit with tough new sanctions to deter Moscow from invading Ukraine, even if it hurt the UK economy.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Simon Clarke, warned on Monday morning: “We are very clear that if Russia takes further action against the Ukraine, then we will further tighten the sanctions regime targeting those businesses and people with the closest links to the Kremlin.”
The government will introduce new legislation this week that would allow them to apply wider-ranging sanctions to Russian businesses. Under the plans, the government will impose asset freezes and travel bans on individuals and entities that have a “strategic significance” to the Russian government.
The United States and Nato replied last week to Moscow’s demands for legally binding security guarantees over the expansion of the security alliance.
The Kremlin said on Monday that President Vladmir Putin will respond to the proposals from Washington and Brussels “when he considers it necessary”, with no date set for now.