Revealed the consequences of tough US sanctions against Russia

MOSCOW, Jan 31 Tough US sanctions against Russia, if imposed, would dramatically increase the cost of key commodities on the planet , writes Tim McDonell, columnist for the American business newspaper Quartz. «Restrictive measures are likely to affect large banks. This is a risky gambit against a key exporter of fuels, metals and wheat, which plays a critical role in global supply chains. Russia produces 43% of the world's palladium needed for automobile engines,” the columnist noted. According to McDonell, even if the restrictions do not affect these industries, they will still affect exports from the country. As the author pointed out, prices for essential goods from Russia are already much higher than before the pandemic. If the United States starts a sanctions war against Moscow, inflation will accelerate with renewed vigor, the journalist complained. In recent months, the West has been saying that Russia is preparing «offensive actions» in Ukraine and is threatening to introduce tough restrictive measures. Moscow has repeatedly denied such allegations. The director of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergei Naryshkin, called the stuff about the «invasion» malicious propaganda of the US State Department. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in turn, noted that Russia has never threatened the Ukrainian people. At the same time, no prerequisites for an escalation of the conflict are observed in Kiev itself. As President of the country Volodymyr Zelensky said, the situation is deliberately aggravated and negatively affects the economy of the republic.