The Russian President Vladimir Putin has commented on the report, released by the US administration on Monday, which includes a list of 114 Russian politicians and 96 businessmen who may face new US sanctions in the future, Sputnik News reports.
Putin joked he was "sad" that he hadn't been on the list, adding that he only heard of the document from his colleagues but hadn't seen it.
"We [Russia] need most of all to think about ourselves, we need to deal with our economy, agriculture, we need to support exports, health, education, defense," Putin noted, saying Russia needs to focus on its internal development rather than on a list prepared by foreign states. If Russia is fully developed, he added, there will be a common understanding there is no point "in compelling any lists, threatening [Russia] or trying to deter our development."