Speaker of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin and the leaders of the four factions introduced a bill on Russia's response to new US sanctions. The document will be submitted for discussion at an extraordinary meeting of the State Duma Council on April 16, Volodin said on Friday, April 13.

The bill will also be sent for consideration to the regions and will be discussed with experts and the government of the Russian Federation. After that, according to Volodin, it will be submitted for consideration at the next meeting of the State Duma, notes DW.

The document entitled "On the measures of influence (counteraction) on unfriendly actions of the United States and (or) other foreign states" presupposes granting the government of the Russian Federation the authority to introduce a number of measures of an economic and political nature, further explained the speaker of the Russian parliament.

Meanwhile, State Duma Vice-Speaker Ivan Melnikov said that the bill contains measures restricting the importation into Russia of alcohol and tobacco products, agricultural products, raw materials, medicines and foodstuffs to Russia. In addition, it is planned to block cooperation with the United States in the nuclear industry, aircraft building and the rocket and propulsion industry, he said further..

On April 6, the US imposed sanctions against 24 Russian businessmen and officials included in the so-called "Kremlin Report". Among them, the billionaire Oleg Deripska, the head of Gazprom Alexei Miller, the head of the Interior Ministry Vladimir Kolokoltsev, the commander of Rosgvardia Viktor Zolotov, the head of Roskomnadzor Alexander Zharov. Penalties are also imposed on "Rusal" and another 13 Russian companies.

All assets of companies and private individuals under the sanctions in the United States will be frozen.

Americans are also forbidden to conduct any business with those who are listed in the sanctions lists.

The head of the US Treasury, Stephen Mnuchin, explained that the sanctions are not related to specific offenses, but were introduced in response to "harmful activities of Russia". It is a question of punishing Moscow for all its recent deeds, including the annexation of the Crimea, support for the Syrian regime and attempts to undermine Western democracy.