"I think that as far as sanctions are concerned they [the EU] have no long-term strategy, there cannot be such a strategy. Because they failed to calculate all the harm sanctions would cause, and to consider how the EU members would react," Chizhov told the Rossiya 24 TV channel.
“We are now witnessing how a load of European Union members are getting increasingly critical about the very idea of sanctions against Russia, as well as about its practical manifestations, first of all in the economy,” Vladimir Chizhov said.
Political directors of the European Union will visit Moscow in mid-April, the visit of the EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini will take place after it, Vladimir Chizhov said.
Earlier in the day, Mogherini said in a statement that the European Union will uphold restrictions against Crimea and calls on other UN member states to consider similar measures.
The European Union has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow after Crimea decided to secede from Ukraine and reunify with Russia in March 2014.
European leaders are expected to discuss policy toward Russia and the possibility of further extending anti-Russian sanctions at a summit on March 19 and 20.
Several EU member states, including Greece, Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary, expressed skepticism over the efficiency of the restrictive measures against Russia.
