It has been disappointing for Russia to learn about the US government's decision to expand sanctions against Russia, said the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

"That Obama’s administration has clung on putting a pressure on Russia, raises doubts. The White House keeps on trying to ‘punish’ us, instead of making an effort to coordinating struggle against new challenges. Washington should understand, that such attempts are unpromising and are doomed to failure. The restrictions will not remain unanswered. We will consider how, when, and to what extent we will respond to these sanctions. I’d like to express a hope, that the new government will refuse from Obama’s administration’s confrontational approach in regard to Russian-American relations and will make certain a step to normalize bilateral relations.”