Moscow will work on retaliatory measures to counter the new round of US sanctions, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.

“Russia had repeatedly warned that talking from a position of strength and using ultimatums is useless and futile,” Zakharova said on Thursday, adding that the country will devise “retaliatory measures” against the “recent hostile act of Washington.”

Washington is using “the Skripal poisoning story” as an unjustified pretext for imposing new restrictions on Moscow, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated.

READ MORE: Russia to retaliate if Washington bans Aeroflot flights to US

Maria Zakharova also told the media that the US demands for sanctions to be lifted are “unacceptable.”

“We are being threatened with a further increase of pressure through sanctions,” she said. “That’s how the US is willingly escalating bilateral relations, which, thanks to their effort, had already been practically reduced to nothing.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the US unveiled new sanctions against Russia over the poisoning of double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK in March this year. The new penalties are expected to come into effect around August 22, according to the State Department.

Russia will demand that the UK discloses information about chemical agents manufactured in the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down.

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