Western sanctions will hit world markets and affect the well-being of Americans, but will not force Russia to change its foreign policy, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov warned.

"There is no doubt that the sanctions imposed against us will strongly hit the global financial and energy markets," he noted.

Antonov also pointed out that "the United States will not be left out, where ordinary citizens will feel the full consequences of rising prices."

Not a single day without Western restrictions

The ambassador underlined that sanctions against Russia will not solve problems.

“It is hard to imagine that anyone in Washington is hoping Russia will revise its foreign policy under the threat of restrictions. I do not remember a single day when our country lived without any restrictions from the Western world," he said.

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"We have learned to work in such conditions. And not only to survive, but also to develop our state," he stressed.

Antonov highlighted that the United States has done nothing over the past seven years to convince Kiev of the need to comply with the Minsk agreements.

Australia & Japan impose sanctions on Russia

Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that Australia is imposing sanctions on Russia for its recognition of the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics.

Similarly, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida confirmed that Tokyo will impose sanctions on Russia for its actions in Ukraine.

First round of sanctions

In response to Moscow's recognition of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and deployment of peacekeeping forces in the Donbass, US President Joe Biden announced the first round of economic sanctions against Russia on Tuesday.

The first round of sanctions target VEB Development Bank, Promsvyazbank Public Joint Stock Company (PSB), and 42 of their subsidiaries, as well as Russia's sovereign debt and Russian "elites and their families."

For his part, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the EU sanctions against Russia will apply to 351 lawmakers of the Parliament’s Lower House, the State Duma, adding that if the conflict escalates, the EU will impose more sanctions.

In the same context, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that the United Kingdom will impose "immediate" economic penalties on Russia, claiming that President Vladimir Putin is planning an alleged "full-scale invasion of Ukraine."