On Thursday, the White House said the executive order signed by President Joe Biden was aimed at curbing Russia’s “harmful practices”.

The BBC reported that Washington has targeted more than a dozen Russian organizations and individuals.

The US Treasury Department said in a statement that the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has banned 18 Russian companies and 18 individuals seeking to influence the 2020 US presidential election at the direction of Russian government leaders.

Russia’s occupation of Crimea and human rights violations resulted in sanctions against five individuals and three organizations.

The Foreign Ministry says it will expel 10 officials from the Russian diplomatic mission in the United States.

Last month, the United States blacklisted six Russian officials and more than a dozen government agencies for poisoning Russian critic Alexei Navalny.

Observers believe that the Biden administration’s unilateral sanctions against Russia within three months of taking office will increase tensions between Washington and Moscow.

Biden also warned in a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday that Washington would take effective and appropriate steps to protect US interests.

The US President also expressed his interest in holding face-to-face meetings with Putin in a “third country.”

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that any new “illegal” sanctions would rule out a summit between the two leaders.

The Kremlin also said on Thursday that it would avenge the US sanctions. They also summoned the American ambassador to the country.