Russia announces American sanctions will meet 'strong response'

Russia said Wednesday that new US sanctions will meet a "strong response" after US President Joe Biden announced fresh penalties against Moscow for "beginning" an invasion of Ukraine.

"There should be no doubt -- sanctions will meet a strong response, not necessarily symmetrical, but well-calibrated and sensitive for the American side," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said that Washington had slapped a new round of sanctions in order to "change Russia's course."

"Russia has proved that, with all the sanctions costs, it is capable of minimizing the damage. And even more so, sanctions pressure cannot affect our determination to firmly defend our interests," the statement said.

On Tuesday, Biden announced what he called the "first tranche" of sanctions, including steps to starve Russia of financing and target financial institutions and the country's "elites."

Earlier this week Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised Ukraine's separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent statelets and put his forces on stand-by to move into the Western-backed country.