Russia on Thursday sought to cast the US as an erratic and unpredictable international actor that had betrayed “constructive” talks between the two countries’ presidents, as a new round of sanctions from Washington triggered sharp falls in the currency and Moscow stock markets.
The Russian rouble touched a two-year low in the wake of the Trump administration’s decision to add more sanctions against Moscow over a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy, which took place in the UK in April.
“Anything can be expected from Washington now,” said Dmitry Peskov, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman. “[The US] is quite an unpredictable participant in international affairs.”