Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said that the anti-Russian sanctions are a "road to nowhere," as Moscow will not be intimidated by restrictive measures.

"We are trying to explain that the sanctions are a road to nowhere… We will not be intimidated by the sanctions," Antonov told the Rossiya-24 broadcaster.

However, the State Department representative also told Sputnik that the sanctions are designed to impose a "cost" upon Russia.

"By deterring countries from acquiring Russian military and intelligence equipment we are denying Russia the proceeds from those sales, which it would use to continue its international campaign of malign influence and destabilization," the State Department official stressed earlier.

Last week, the United States imposed sanctions against 21 individuals and 12 entities over their alleged involvement in the situation in Ukraine. Designated individuals, in particular, include Russian Deputy Minister of Energy Andrey Cherezov and Evgeniy Grabchak, the head of the ministry's Department of Operational Control and Management in Electric Power Industry.

Russian Energy Minister Aleksander Novak said earlier that the US sanctions imposed against ministry officials were illegal and that he was awaiting an official explanation from Washington.

Sputnik

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