The Russian Foreign Ministry is holding out hope that the American government officials will exercise discretion in relation to requests for the expansion of the Magnitsky list, avoiding the escalation of confrontation with Russia. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, “Common sense should triumph at the end of the day.” For its part, the Russian Foreign Ministry is by no means eager to enter into a competition of blacklists. Deputy Minister Ryabkov said that such a confrontation would be “senseless and harmful.”

Speaking generally on the adoption of the Magnitsky Act in the U.S., Ryabkov said that it was hardly a good method to solve problems, particularly in a situation when tensions run high.

In his address to the Foreign Affairs Committee of Russia’s Federation Council, Mr. Ryabkov said that the Ministry never upheld and will not uphold the use of any banned lists in Russia’s relationship with the United States.

According to the Deputy Minister, the escalation of the confrontation by means of augmenting and enlarging the blacklists of each side is exactly what the “hotheads” in the United States wanted to accomplish. While the Deputy Minister acknowledged that Russia needs to send a message to the United States in response to the Magnitsky Act, he noted that competing in blacklists would be inappropriate.

According to the Deputy Minister, the only manner in which international relations can be forged is by finding compromises and mutually advantageous solutions to such issues as human rights and trans-border consequences of commercial activity.

The Russian State Duma on December 21, 2012 passed the bill “On Measures against Persons Involved in Violations of Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms.” The legislative initiative was passed in the third reading. The measure adopted by the members of the Russian Duma sets up a mechanism for recalling the Russian visas and imposing financial prohibitions against persons “who took the decision to ban Russian citizens’ entry and to arrest their interests due to their involvement in the violations of human rights”.

Furthermore, the bill as passed in the State Duma, also introduced a blanket prohibition on the adoption of Russian children by United States citizens. In that respect, the Russian government may decide to abrogate the Russian-American adoption agreement.

On December 21, 2012, a number of public petitions were posted on the website of the U.S. White House, asking for the inclusion of the names of the Russian legislators voting for the Anti-Magnitsky bill into the Magnitsky list. The public petitions gathered 25,000 signatures within two days. The Russian Federation Council addressed its version of the Anti-Magnitsky bill on December 26, 2012.