Moscow bristles at US sanctions on Russian company

MOSCOW – Russia has warned that the latest U.S. sanctions against a Russian company accused by Washington of breaching international restrictions on North Korea could undermine denuclearization talks with Pyongyang.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed sanctions on three companies from China, Russia and Singapore accused of helping North Korea dodge international sanctions. It said the Russian Profinet firm and its director provided port services at least six times to North Korean-flagged vessels engaged in sanctions-busting oil shipments.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the U.S. move could “undermine recent progress toward the settlement” of the standoff over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. It noted that the U.S. imposed sanctions at a time when “joint international efforts are needed,” adding that the new U.S. sanctions are “destructive” and “useless.”