Russia says sanctions against U.S. may be on the table

Russia's deputy foreign minister told state media Thursday the Kremlin has "every right" to counter U.S. sanctions on the energy sector with its own response.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the Kremlin likely won't issue reactive sanctions against the United States, but felt the measures targeting the Russian energy sector were reflexive.

"Strictly speaking, we now have every right amid this mass of anti-Russian US sanctions to impose sanctions against the United States non-stop and in all the areas," he told state news agency RIA Novosti.

The Russian economy is struggling to cope with sanctions imposed on its energy sector in response the Kremlin's posture on the conflict in Ukraine.

Exports of crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas accounted for nearly 70 of all Russian export revenues in 2013 and the Russian Central Bank said it was struggling to keep Russian inflation in check because of U.S. and European sanctions.

Ryabkov didn't say which U.S. actions were sanctionable offenses.

Ties between Russia and its Western counterparts have taken a turn for the worse since Ukraine, a former member of the Soviet Union, started pivoting toward the European Union.