Russia threatened retaliation against a U.S. and European Union decision to stiffen sanctions against Moscow because of Ukraine and may ban some imports including clothing and used cars. The EU added 15 companies , including OAO Gazprom (OGZD) Neft, OAO Rosneft (ROSN) and OAO Transneft, and 24 people to the list of those affected by its sanctions against Russia. European companies and taxpayers “will have to pick up the costs” for the penalties, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin , told Interfax yesterday. The U.S. will “deepen and broaden” its measures against Russia’s financial, energy and defense industries, President Barack Obama said yesterday. The moves raise the level of confrontation and follow reprisals last month, when the Russian leader banned a range of food imports after an earlier round of U.S. and European penalties. Putin denies any involvement in the fighting that broke out after he […]