Earlier in the day, Washington added 21 individuals and nine entities to its list of Specially Designated Nationals, and another 12 entities to the Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List over their alleged involvement in the situation in Ukraine.
"If the US authorities opt to break economic and other ties with Russia, it is their right, as we reserve our right to respond," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a commentary to the US "destructive" move.
The ministry reiterated that Russia cannot be scared by us refusal to issue visas or by trade restrictions, and cannot be pressured to abandon its independent course on the global arena.
In its press release, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control said that the decision to expand sanctions was taken after a similar move by the European Union.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also said that the US sanctions campaign against Russia and the expansion of restrictive measures will only result in financial losses for US businesses, and thus Washington demonstrates its own helplessness in the given situation.
"The time has come for strategists in Washington to realize that by continuing their senseless sanctions campaign, which has not given and will not give any results, and will only result in financial losses for US business, they demonstrate to the whole world their own helplessness," the ministry said in a statement.