Russia’s PM Medvedev: US ban on Russian banks would be act of economic war

Russian Prime Minister (PM) Dmitry Medvedev was out on the wires on Friday, via Reuters, expressing his take on a new round of sanctions announced by the US on Russia after the US determined that Moscow had used a nerve agent against a former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia, in Britain.

Key Quotes (via Reuters):

“I would not like to comment on talks about future sanctions, but I can say one thing: If some ban on banks’ operations or on their use of one or another currency follows, it would be possible to clearly call it a declaration of economic war.”

“And it would be necessary, it would be needed to react to this war economically, politically, or, if needed, by other means. And our American friends need to understand this.” 

On Thursday, Kremlin called new US sanctions "categorically unacceptable" and illegal under international law.