MOSCOW, December 25 (Sputnik) — The United States was instrumental in launching the sanctions campaign against Russia over Moscow's alleged role in the Ukrainian crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
"Let's not forget that many European countries were reluctant to introduce even the first wave of sanctions," Lavrov said in an interview with Russia's Kommersant newspaper published on Thursday.
"However, it is not a secret anymore that the Americans have pressured the whole European Union to yield to their demands, as [US Vice-President] Joe Biden blatantly stated in his speech at a US university several months ago," Lavrov stressed.
The United States and the European Union have slammed Russia with rounds of sanctions throughout the year over Crimea's vote to leave Ukraine and join Russia, and later due to the ongoing unrest in eastern Ukraine, which the West claims Moscow is involved in, although the claims have not been supported with any factual evidence.
The restrictions targeted Russian officials and entire sectors of the country's economy, specifically the energy, defense and banking industries.
Although many European countries were quick to issue travel bans and asset freezes for dozens of Russian officials, they were first reluctant to pass additional, economic restrictions on Russia. However, in July, the EU bloc caved in to Washington's demands and introduced additional measures against Russia, including financial restrictions that prevented Russian banks and companies from raising capital on European markets.
Speaking at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in September, Biden admitted that the European Union "did not want to do that. But again, it was America's leadership and the President of the United States insisting".
In response to the Western sanctions, Russia has imposed a one-year ban on the import of certain foods from the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia and Norway.
