The US Ministry of Finance's "Kremlin list" was not initially conceived as a sanction and was supposed to analyze the principles of the Putin regime's operation in order to be later submitted to the Congress.

This in an interview with "Apostrophe" said ex-State Duma deputy Ilya Ponomarev.

"The most unpleasant thing for the congressmen happened: the executive did not refuse to do it, and Trump signed this law, because it was adopted almost unanimously. But what they conveyed is not an analyst, but, roughly speaking, a telephone directory combined with an article from Forbes, with a piece of this article, and not the whole. That is a purely formal unsubscription, "Ponomarev noted..

According to him, a scandal broke out in the United States between the branches of government because of this list.

"On the other hand, it was from there that the leak went that a week ago there was a secret visit of the leaders of Russian special services to the United States. While they are all under sanctions. That is, for this visit to take place, all top leaders of the country should have specifically agreed with this. And is it a coincidence that they first come, and then they give this list to the Congress, but I do not even know what to call it - an excuse, an answer? "- said Ponomarev.

Despite the superficial nature of the list, Ponomarev is confident that all of his defendants are also responsible for the situation in Russia.

"But my position as a whole is this: all the rich people of the country and all state officials are really responsible for what is happening, in particular, from the point of view of war. Either way, they can not stand apart from politics. And even when they are simply silent, it all the same already means support of what is happening - in this sense, of course, there are questions for everyone, "the former deputy believes..