The Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that the United States has “completely lost its grip on reality” in response to sanctions that Washington has imposed on Syrian officials and a Russian bank for their roles in the conflict in Syria.



Washington’s “desire for regime chance in Syria is so strong that it is ready to help any destructive force,” the ministry’s December 24 statement said.



“This widening of American sanctions against Russia…at a time when the bloody attacks in Ankara and Berlin should bring reasonable people together to fight the terrorist threat shows that Washington has completely lost its grip on reality,” it continued.



The United States on December 23 added nine board members of a previously blacklisted Moscow bank called Tempbank to the list of Specially Designated Nationals allegedly providing financial services to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.



Six Syrian ministers and Syria’s Cham Wings airline were also added to the list.



Based on reporting by AFP and AP