WASHINGTON, October 3 (RIA Novosti) – The United States recognize that sanctions imposed against Russia cause damage to the European countries, however, urge the EU leaders not to doubt their suitability, US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said.
"Today we must maintain that solidarity with Ukraine and unity within the Transatlantic community. Implementing sanctions isn't easy and many countries are paying a steep price. We know that," Nuland said Thursday.
"History shows that the cost of inaction and disunity in the face of a determined aggressor will be higher. The history of Central Europe itself teaches us that. So when leaders are tempted to make statements that tear at the fabric of our resolve, I would ask them to remember their own national history, and how they wished their neighbors had stood with them," she added.
The Ukrainian conflict saw a deterioration of Russia's relations with the West, as western politicians and media continued accusing Russia of providing aid to independence supporters, a claim Moscow repeatedly denied.
Russia, however, played a vital role in the deescalation of the crisis. Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a peace plan to resolve the conflict two days before Kiev and the eastern regions of Ukraine reached a ceasefire agreement on September 5 in Belarusian capital Minsk.
The European Union and the United States have been hitting Russia with sanctions over Moscow's alleged role in the Ukrainian crisis. The western sanctions target the country's largest banks, energy and defense companies, as well as some individuals.
In response to western sanctions, in August Moscow has implemented a one-year ban on certain food imports from the European Union, the United States, Australia, Canada and Norway.
