Details of Russia's response to USA's sanctions exposed

As a response to US sanctions, Russian MPs suggested Russian employers should not hire US citizens and citizens of the countries, who supported the imposition of sanctions against Russia.

The draft law about Russia's response to US sanctions was published on the website of the lower house of the parliament. The prohibition to hire US employees, the authors of the document wrote, may affect even "highly qualified specialists."

According to Russian MPs, such a move is to "protect the rights and freedoms of Russians, as well as interests and security of the Russian Federation" after the introduction of new sanctions against Russian companies, businessmen and heads of state-run corporations.

In another initiative, Russian MP suggest restricting the activities of American auditors, as well as legal and consulting companies "to ensure state and municipal needs, as well as the needs of certain types of legal entities."

The above-mentioned and other restrictions will affect companies that remain under the jurisdiction of the United States, as well as the companies, in which more than 25% belong to American legal entities. In addition, the measures will be taken against the companies from the countries that joined the actions of the US authorities and imposed economic sanctions on certain sectors of the Russian economy, Russian companies and individuals.

The above-mentioned draft law provides for measures relating to services and goods from the United States of America:

prohibition or restriction of imports of agricultural products, raw materials and food;
-   prohibition or restriction of imports of alcohol and tobacco products;
-   prohibition or restriction of imports of medicines, except for those whose analogues are not produced in Russia;
-   prohibition or restriction of exports of products and equipment from rare earth metals;
-   prohibition of state and municipal purchases of technological equipment and software;
-   exhaustion of the exclusive right to trademarks in respect of goods owned by US citizens;
-   prohibition to attract highly qualified specialists;
setting higher fees on air navigation services for aircraft engaged in the transportation of goods and using Russian airspace.

Furthermore, Russia intends to terminate cooperation with the USA in the following industries:

- atomic industry;
- aircraft building;
- rocket industry;
- consulting, auditing and legal services.

The above-menrtioned organisations will also be prohibited from participating in sales of federal property and privatisation.

The text of the bill also says that the Russian government will have the right to expand the list of services and goods that fall under restrictions. To crown it all, the Russian authorities will be able to make the list of US citizens who will be banned from entering Russia.

Pravda.Ru