Putin Ally Threatens USA ‘There Will Be Hell to Pay’

An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Medvedev’s comments arrived a day after the EU adopted its 14th package of sanctions on Russia, specifically targeting the country’s gas exports. International sanctions have been leveled against Moscow and political figures following Putin’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. Rounds of sanctions against Russia have been implemented since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The new sanctions list includes an additional 69 individuals and 47 entities “responsible for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine,” according to the Council of the EU news release on Monday.

For the first time, the sanctions target the country’s gas sector, specifically liquefied natural gas (LNG), by banning “reloading services of Russia LNG in EU territory.” This measure will hinder Russian transshipments of LNG from EU ports, as well as the purchase of “Russian LNG through EU terminals not connected to the natural gas system.”

The terms also detail that Sweden and Finland are permitted to cancel some Russian LNG contracts. On Tuesday, Gasum, a Finnish gas supplier, said it will stop importing Russian LNG in July, writing in a statement, “Gasum complies with all sanctions imposed by the EU and will not purchase or import Russian LNG as of 26 July.”

The package also states that the “EU will prohibit new investments, as well as the provision of goods, technology and services for the completion of LNG projects under construction, such as Arctic LNG 2 and Murmansk LNG.”

Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, expressed his outrage about the latest sanctions on his official Telegram channel. In a lengthy post, he wrote, “Life has proven time and again that the so-called ‘sanctions from hell’ adopted by the EU on order from the US, pave the way to the Inferno solely for their own makers. So the 14th package of sanctions will not reach the goal, but will be yet another act of hostility.”

He added in a more ominous tone: “We will survive this. But we won’t just forgive and forget, we’ve got a good memory. We won’t leave without response the intent to harm our people—and sanctions of any kind always hit people and businesses, but not authorities. We will thoroughly note down this very case of assault on our interests, and in a very short time will present our demands—and not only economic—to the hostile countries.” He concluded the post, writing, “There will be hell to pay.”

Newsweek reached out to the Russian government, EU’s press team and the State Department for comment via email on Wednesday.

His comments come after he warned the U.S. on Sunday that it “will burn in hell,” after blaming the U.S. for a Ukrainian missile attack in Sevastopol, a city in the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula. Russia’s Defense Ministry says five U.S.-delivered Army Tactical Missile System missiles were used in the strike, which killed at least four people and injured 151, according to Reuters.

“Ukraine makes its own targeting decisions and conducts its own military operations,” Major Charlie Dietz, Pentagon spokesperson, said.