A senior Russian diplomat has denounced the latest U.S. sanctions as baseless, saying they are based on “malicious insinuations,”AP reported.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in a statement Tuesday that the move reflects a “hardheaded, narrow-minded and aggressive approach by the U.S.” He added that Russia will respond without hurting its own interests and continue a “calm and methodical work on a constructive agenda.”

He noted that the U.S. attempts to push for tougher U.N. sanctions against North Korea won’t work.

The Treasury Department has blacklisted two companies and two individuals suspected of trying to circumvent U.S. sanctions imposed in June in response to cyberattacks. It also targeted two Russian shipping companies suspected of transferring petroleum products to North Korean vessels in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.