"The timing of new sanctions is not clear. If they concluded that the Skripals were poisoned by Russia now, then why did they order 62 [diplomats] out before they came to such a conclusion? It remains unclear, whether they have some new information or it is a stunt to defuse tensions around the Senate's new [extensive sanctions] bill [blocking operations with Russia’s sovereign debt]," Rodzianko said in an interview on Thursday.
He went on to say that the ban on dual-use technology, possibly stipulated by the first wave of the latest sanctions, was nothing new.
READ MORE: Kremlin Rejects US Claims of Skripal Case Links, Calls Sanctions 'Unacceptable'
The AmCham CEO noted that US bankers do not favor the idea of imposing sanctions on Russian state debt, earlier expressed by the senators.
"We see debates; this was not the case with the [Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act] CAATSA. That is why there is hope that this law, if adopted, will be more of a more scoping nature, meaning that it will be emotional rather than legally binding," Rodzianko added.
The news came amid the introduction of US sanctions against Moscow, triggered by the accusations of the March poisoning in the British city of Salisbury. Moscow has repeatedly denied allegations of involvement in the incident, also noting that neither Washington nor London have presented any evidence in order to substantiate their claims.
