Kremlin calls extended U.S. sanctions "illegal"

MOSCOW, March 3 (Xinhua) -- The Kremlin Saturday criticized Washington's extended sanctions against Moscow as illegal and harmful.

"We did not initiate the sanctions. We consider them illegal and harmful to the people of both countries and the entire world," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a daily briefing.

The criticism came after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday to maintain the prevailing sanctions against Russia for one more year.

The previous Barack Obama administration had imposed the sanctions following the 2014 Crimean referendum and the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin showcased a number of new strategic weapons that "can pierce any defense systems," and the U.S. State Department accused Moscow of violating arms control treaties. Enditem