The Kremlin warned Thursday that the sanctions the Biden Administration is planning against Russia in retaliation for interference in American elections will not "help" President Joe Biden's planned summit with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Biden had invited Putin to attend a summit together on neutral ground in a phone conversation on Tuesday.
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the US government is planning on imposing additional sanctions against Russia, including sanctions against 30 Russian entities and the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats.
“What is currently being discussed — likely sanctions — will in no way help such a meeting. That is unambiguous,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in response to the reports of new sanctions.
Peskov added that the final decision as whether to hold a summit or not would be up to Biden and Putin,
Russia summoned US ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan to the Kremlin on Wednesday to warn him that the US must not impose new sanctions on Russia.
Tensions between Russia and the West have escalated in recent months due to Russia's military buildup along the Ukrainian border and the imprisonment of Putin critic Alexei Navalny.