Kremlin shrugs off U.S. sanctions

MOSCOW, July 17 (UPI) -- The Kremlin is taking a "placid" posture over U.S. sanctions that reach into the energy sector, Russia's deputy foreign minister said Thursday.

Washington rolled out a new set of sanctions against Russian companies and financial institutions in response to ongoing skirmishes in Ukraine, a former Soviet Republic.

Skirmishes in Ukraine stem from Russia's frustration over the shift in the regional balance of power that resulted from Kiev's tilt toward the European Union.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said U.S. actions against Russia would hurt Washington's foreign political and economic efforts.

"There's no hustle, our stance on this [new U.S. sanctions] is placid and balanced," he said.

Sanctions extend to the financial arm of Russian natural gas company Gazprom along with Russian energy companies Novatek and Rosneft. U.S. Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen said the sanctions were enacted because "Russia has failed to meet the basic standards of international conduct."