West's Decision to Extend Anti-Russia Sanctions Would Be 'No Surprise'

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The extension of the Western anti-Russia sanctions would not be a surprise, Alexei Pushkov, the Foreign Affairs Committee chairman in the lower house of the Russian parliament, said on Friday.

In late May, Japan host the G7 summit. British Prime Minister David Cameron said then that the G7 states — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States — had decided to extend sanctions against Russia in June.

"The signals from the West on the extension of sanctions are not a surprise. The decision was taken at the G7 [summit]. Since then, other options have been excluded," Pushkov wrote on Twitter.

The United States, the European Union and some of their allies have imposed several rounds of sanctions targeting key sectors of the Russian economy, as well as a number of individuals and entities, over Crimea’s reunification with Russia and Moscow's alleged involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Russia has repeatedly refuted the allegations, warning that the Western sanctions are counterproductive and undermine global stability. In response to the restrictive measures, Russia has imposed a food embargo on some products originating in countries that have targeted it with sanctions.

The latest round of Western punitive measures against Russia is up for extension among EU members before the July 31 expiration deadline.