Moscow has reacted to a proposed new package of United States sanctions with of mix of anger and resignation.

As an influential former minister urged Russians to prepare for the worst, the Kremlin accused the US of “racketeering”.

“We see clear symptoms of emotional Russophobia,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists. “But behind the emotions … is an entirely pragmatic, assertive trade calculation, and … nothing less than an attempt to engage in dishonest competition.”

The new round of sanctions, proposed in the Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act on Wednesday evening, would target Russia’s security service, sovereign debt, and its financial and energy sectors. The sanctions package is awaiting congressional approval.

According to the bill’s authors, the measures have been proposed in response to two developments: Russian “interference in democratic processes abroad” and its “aggression against Ukraine”, including the seizing of Ukrainian warships in the Kerch strait in November.

On Thursday, the proposed sanctions were met with a predictably angry response by Russian state television and more media-hungry parliamentarians. Perhaps the most memorable response was filed by Frants Klintsevich, the prominent, if excitable, member of the Defence and Security Committee of Russia’s upper house. He described the new sanctions as a “dangerous habit” akin to “smoking a pipe before breakfast, poisoning all those around”.

Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Show all 23 1 /23 Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Russian passports belonging to (top row) Oleg Sotnikov (left), Aleksei Morenets, (bottom row) Evgenii Serebriakov (left) and Alexey Minin, who have been named as the four GRU officers who tried to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot On April 13 the officers parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment outside the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Specialist equipment intended for the alleged hacking of WiFi networks of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Russia's military intelligence service has been accused of trying to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot The Dutch counter-terrorism officers intervened to disrupt the operation and the four GRU officers were ordered to leave the country Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Mobile phones and a camera recovered from four GRU officers who were alleged to have hacked the WiFi networks of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot The four Russians arrived on diplomatic passports Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Alexey Minin, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers who tried to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot A car carrying hacking equipment used by GRU officers, travelling on official Russian passports, parked near the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Oleg Sotnikov, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Hacking equipment belonging to four Russian officers Dutch Ministry of Defence/AP Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Evgenii Serebriakov, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Equipment found in possession of four Russian citizens Reuters Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Photos of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and its surroundings taken on the 11 April, found on the phone of GRU officer Alexey Minin Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Equipment found in possession of four Russian citizens REUTERS Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Aleksei Morenets, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Undated handout photo dated issued by the Dutch Ministry of Defence of a car carrying hacking equipment used by GRU officers, travelling on official Russian passports, parked near the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday October 4, 2018. On April 13 the officers parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment outside the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague. At that point the Dutch counter-terrorism officers intervened to disrupt the operation and the four GRU officers were ordered to leave the country. See PA story POLITICS Russia. Photo credit should read: Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Dutch Ministry of Defence Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot A combo of a taxi bill and a map, with a ride from a street next to the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, GRU, to Sheremyetevo airport in Moscow, found in possession of one of four GRU officers AP Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Yevgeny Serebryakov, an alleged Russian agent AFP/Getty Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services say they have foiled an attempted cyber attack targeting the international chemical weapons watchdog, during its investigations into the Salisbury attack. Netherlands Defence Ministry Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services say they have foiled an attempted cyber attack targeting the international chemical weapons watchdog, during its investigations into the Salisbury attack. Netherlands Defence Ministry Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services say they have foiled an attempted cyber attack targeting the international chemical weapons watchdog, during its investigations into the Salisbury attack. Netherlands Defence Ministry Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services say they have foiled an attempted cyber attack targeting the international chemical weapons watchdog, during its investigations into the Salisbury attack. Netherlands Defence Ministry Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services say they have foiled an attempted cyber attack targeting the international chemical weapons watchdog, during its investigations into the Salisbury attack. Netherlands Defence Ministry Netherlands Defence Ministry

“The sanctions have nothing to do with the Kerch incident,” he added.

Other influential actors offered a more muted response, and called on Russians to prepare for things to deteriorate further.

Herman Gref, the head of Russia’s largest bank and its former reformist economics minister, said the risks to the country’s already slow-growth economy had increased and was already being factored into the market.

“We need to prepare for the very worst of situations,” Mr Gref said.

Russian stock prices dropped 1.5 per cent on the back of the news.

Dmitry Peskov admitted that the Kremlin saw little hope for a turnaround in bilateral relations.

“Understanding the level of feelings in congress, it would be wrong to hope for an improvement or even some remission of the disease of Russophobia,” he said.

Repeating a sentence heard many times over on Wednesday, the presidential spokesperson warned things would get worse – but insisted Russia would find a way of coping.