Russia has vowed that retaliation will be fierce after the US slapped Russia with sanctions for the voting scandal after saying it 'categorically' rejects 'unfounded' US vote hacking claims.
U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that Russia and President Vladimir Putin should expect tough sanctions after cyber attacks during the presidential election, won by Donald Trump.
"To be honest, we are tired of lie about the 'Russian hackers', which is being poured down in the United States from the very top," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Russian officials have denied accusations of interference in the election. Zakharova also called reports of possible new sanctions a "provocation directed by the White House".
“Any anti-Russian sanctions are futile and counterproductive. I can only reiterate that the sanctions hysteria only demonstrate the total disorientation of the outgoing US administration,” Dolgov told Interfax.
“Such unilateral steps have the sole aim of harming relations [between Moscow and Washington] and complicate their restoration in the future,” he added.