US 'regrets' Russian decision to cancel talks

MOSCOW (AP) — The Latest on the new U.S. sanctions against Russia (all times local):

8:20 p.m.

The United States says it regrets Russia's decision to "turn away" from a chance to discuss obstacles in the U.S.-Russia relationship.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert says the U.S. remains open to discussions with Russia despite its decision to cancel talks between Russia's deputy foreign minister and the No. 3 U.S. diplomat. Russia said it was canceling the talks scheduled for Friday in response to a new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia that were announced Tuesday.

Nauert says those sanctions "didn't come out of nowhere." She says Russia knows what it needs to do to get the sanctions lifted. She says the sanctions will remain until Russia honors its agreements related to Ukraine and stops occupying Crimea.

Nauert says the latest round of sanctions was designed to "counter attempts to circumvent our sanctions."

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5:35 p.m.

Russia's deputy foreign minister says he has cancelled upcoming talks with the U.S. undersecretary of state over a new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia.

The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it has imposed sanctions on 38 Russian individuals and firms over Russia's activities in Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday quoted Deputy Minister Sergey Ryabkov as saying that "the situation is not conducive to holding a round of this dialogue" that was scheduled for Friday and criticized the U.S. for "not having offered and not offering anything specific" to discuss.

Russia-U.S. relations have remained tense even as the White House considers scheduling President Donald Trump's meeting with Putin on the sidelines of next month's Group of 20 meeting.

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3:30 p.m.

The Kremlin has voiced regret about the new U.S. sanctions against Russia and warned of possible retaliation.

President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that the U.S. move wasn't constructive, adding that "various options are being considered on expert level."

The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it has imposed sanctions on 38 Russian individuals and firms over Russian activities in Ukraine. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that the penalties are designed to "maintain pressure on Russia to work toward a diplomatic solution."

Russia-U.S. relations have remained tense even as the White House considers scheduling President Donald Trump's meeting with Putin on the sidelines of next month's Group of 20 meeting.

Peskov reaffirmed the possibility of such a meeting, but said that no preparations had been made yet.