MOSCOW, July 10 (RIA Novosti) – Moscow views the expected extension of EU sanctions against Russia as an unfriendly act that would certainly damage bilateral relations, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
“Our attitude to lists of sanctions remains unchanged, we are absolutely sure that it is not a proper way for states to work together and interact, especially for major [international] players like Russia and the EU. These unfriendly acts would naturally affect the general picture of our relations with the European Union,” the ministry’s spokesman, Alexander Lukashevich, said.
On Wednesday, the European Union also added 11 new names to the list of individuals targeted with freezes and travel bans, Reuters reported, citing an EU diplomat. The sanctions are expected to take effect on Saturday. The names are to be published in the European Union’s official journal in the coming days.
Following Crimea’s reunification with Russia, the United States and the European Union imposed sanctions against a number of Russian officials and companies. A total of 61 Russian and Ukrainian nationals have been hit with EU travel bans and asset freezes over the course of the crisis in Ukraine. Several Crimean enterprises have also been targeted by EU sanctions. Moscow has also been threatened with tougher restrictive measures that could target key sectors of the country’s economy.
Russia has repeatedly stated that the language of sanctions is “inappropriate and counterproductive” and warned its western partners about the “boomerang effect” the sanctions would have.
