According to one senior Russian diplomat, the goal of the U.S.-led economic sanctions imposed on Russia is to create conditions that encourage regime change, reported the Tass news agency.
"The fact is not concealed that the sanctions' aim is to create social and economic conditions to carry out the regime change in Russia," said Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov in Russia's lower house of parliament on Monday.
Ryabkov added that he believes it will take many years to escape the current U.S. sanctions.
"I am unprepared to say if we are witnesses to a rerun of the Cold War or for how long the current state of affairs will persist," he said. "One thing I know for certain: getting out of the current situation the U.S. sanctions have produced will take many years.
"We do not feel nervous about this, and our actions are adjusted."
According to Ryabkov, Russia has carefully considered what retaliatory measures it will take against the U.S., however, he said Russia will not announce its sanction counter-lists, reported Tass.
The European Union has joined the U.S. in imposing widespread economic sanctions against Russian individuals, companies and entire sectors of the economy after Russia invaded Ukraine in March and forcibly took over Crimea. The West has also accused Russia of providing weapons and manpower to pro-Russian rebels fighting in eastern Ukraine, which has led to tougher sanctions.
"The wish to tear the Commonwealth of Independent States countries away from Russia has always been on the list of U.S. foreign policy interests and early this year it manifested itself with particular aggressiveness," Ryabkov continued. "The advocates of anti-Russian policies were given a go-ahead to stage a government coup. In line with the slogan 'The end justifies the means' they made radical nationalists their main attack force."
"Then a decision was made to 'punish' us - first for the peaceful and free expression of will by the people of Crimea and Sevastopol, and then for the stance over the events in the southeast of Ukraine," he said, adding that attempts are underway "to force Russia to reconsider its foreign policy concept."
