Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech at the Railway Congress in Moscow, Russia November 29, 2017. Sputnik/Alexey Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Thursday it was confident the United States was using sanctions in an attempt to turn Russia’s business elite against President Vladimir Putin.

“We are sure that’s what it is,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

Reuters reported earlier on Thursday that the threat of new U.S. sanctions has spread anxiety among Russia’s wealthiest people that their association with Putin could land them on a U.S. government blacklist.