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Kremlin Complains That U.S. Sanctions Against Putin Would Be Too Harsh

Vladimir Putin’s spokesman warned that the U.S. would really be “crossing a line” if it sanctioned the Russian leader in the case of a Ukraine invasion.

The Kremlin has taken umbrage at the White House’s readiness to level sanctions on President Vladimir Putin if Russian troops invade Ukraine, warning Thursday that such a penalty would be “crossing a line.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the sanctions would be seen as “an initiative to break off relations,” according to Russia’s RIA Novosti. Peskov’s comments came in reaction to legislation backed by the Biden administration to hit Russia with a new round of sanctions if Moscow attacks Ukraine. While the Kremlin has already suffered several rounds of sanctions in connection with its aggression in Ukraine and occupation of Crimea, the new bill calls for sanctions against Putin personally, as well as Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.