Russia Reserves Adequate Response to Ukraine Freedom Support Act: Official

MOSCOW, December 19 (Sputnik) — Moscow will react adequately to the Ukraine Freedom Support Act 2014 depending on how Washington is going to handle the new legislation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday.

The Ukraine Freedom Support Act, authorizing the provision of lethal assistance to Ukraine and the introduction of new sanctions against Russia, was passed by the US Congress last week and signed by President Barack Obama on Thursday.

"This text has nothing to do with 'support of freedom' in Ukraine or anywhere else," spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement, adding that it reflects the strive of influential political circles in the United States to create a legal foundation for their course on undermining relations with Russia.

"We will not leave Washington's hostile actions without response. Our decision on possible retaliatory measures will depend on how the United States implements the new law in practice," Lukashevich said.

The United States, the European Union and a number of other countries have already introduced several rounds of sanctions against Russia, targeting its banking, energy and defense sectors, over Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian crisis. Russia, however, has repeatedly denied the allegations, reminding that Crimea's reunification with Russia was the volition of people living in the territory.