- The Russian government warned of a "painful" response to the United States over its sanctions against Russia, multiple reports said.
- Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that the US sanctions are part of "ongoing attempts to change Russia's course," CNN reported.
- "There should be no doubt that sanctions will receive a strong response," the ministry said.
The Russian government warned on Wednesday of a "strong" and "painful" response to the United States over the Biden administration's sanctions against the country over its invasion of Ukraine, according to multiple reports.
Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Russia will target "sensitive" US assets as retaliation.
The ministry said in a statement that the US sanctions against it are part of America's "ongoing attempts to change Russia's course," CNN reported.
"Russia has proved that, despite all the sanctions costs, it is able to minimize the damage," the ministry said in the statement. "And even more so, sanctions pressure is not able to affect our determination to firmly defend our interests."
The ministry claimed that it was open to diplomacy with the US, but that the sanctions will be met with a fierce response.
It added, "There should be no doubt that sanctions will receive a strong response, not necessarily symmetrical, but finely tuned and painful to the American side."
The ministry's statement detailed no specifics, but explained that Russia will take "measured" steps out to retaliation by targeting "sensitive" US interests, The Moscow Times reported.
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced the "first tranche" of sanctions against Russia as a result of what Biden called "the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine."
The US sanctions against Russia target the country's sovereign debt, two large Russian financial institutions, and Russian elites.
"We'll continue to escalate sanctions if Russia escalates," Biden warned.
Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of two Moscow-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and ordered troops there.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is moving to declare a state of emergency in response to Russia's aggression.
Read here for the latest on the Russia-Ukraine crisis.