MOSCOW, April 29 (RIA Novosti), Daria Chernyshova - The recently imposed sanctions against Russia are designed to show that the West is doing something to solve the crisis in Ukraine, independent asset manager Eric Kraus told RIA Novosti.
«I think it is quite clear - they [sanctions] have been designed to show that the Americans are doing something," Kraus said. «In the US, and to a lesser extent in Europe, there is pressure that governments should show that they are doing something," Kraus said commenting on the new sanctions against Russia. «The G7 governments have created a huge media barrage against Russia that same barrage is now forcing them to take actions which appear to be forcible against Russia. On the other hand, their economic interest prevent them from doing so," Kraus added.
Huge political pressure stands behind decision making in the US as Obama has to prove he is tough. However, Erik Kraus noted, Obama cannot «impose economically meaningful sanctions without Europeans and they are not along."
«Europe is splitting in two blocks with notably Spain, Italy, France, Hungary, Cyprus refusing to move towards meaningful sanctions," Kraus added. «So the impact will be null. It is not meant to have an economic impact," he concluded.
On Tuesday the EU imposed sanctions on 15 additional Russian and Ukrainian officials, and Japan said it will deny visas to 23 Russian nationals, including government officials. The US announced new round of sanctions on Monday now targeting another seven Russian individuals and 17 Russian companies linked to Putin's inner circle.
«Japan has been a loyal vassal to the US," Eric Kraus told RIA Novosti commenting on Japan joining the sanctions. «We are seeing a situation similar to the one that led to the First World War - they are forming geopolitical blocks."
Kraus noted that Japan which is afraid of Chinese rise will do «whatever the Americans tell them to do.» And unlike the EU, imposing sanctions against Russia is cost0-free for Japan, as there is no significant business to be disrupted. «The only thing Japan is losing are the Kuril Islands and I think they are just secondary important," Kraus said.
China, Japan's neighbor, said sanctions against Russia only escalate the Ukrainian crisis and contradict the interests of all parties.
«Imposing sanctions is not helpful in terms of solving the problem. It will only exacerbate the tension. We call for all parties to continue dialogue and negotiation, and promote a political solution. Imposing sanctions goes against the interests of all parties," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Tuesday.
Yet Steve Tsang, Director of the China Policy at the University of Nottingham, believes China will not do anything about «the specific and tightly targeted US sanctions."
«The Chinese Government is somewhat ambivalent about the Ukraine situation though it generally sides more with Russia than the US or the EU over this," he told RIA Novosti. «But the specific nature of the US sanction would not provide scope for the Chinese Government to pick a fight with the US in order to support Russia," he added.
