While U.S. President Barack Obama during his speech on Friday, warned Russia with sanctions if it fails to make the necessary steps to defuse the crisis in Ukraine, Moscow now threatens to retaliate to these sanctions.

According to the Foreign Ministry of Russia, Moscow is ready to impose visa bans on U.S. citizens in response to actions taken by the U.S. government.

“Retaliatory measures definitely will be taken. First of all, a similar number of Americans will be prohibited from entering (Russia),” the ministry’s spokesman Alexander Lukashevich was quoted in a ministry statement as saying.