BERLIN (Sputnik) — On Wednesday, a source told Sputnik that Council of the European Union's Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) agreed to expand the list of anti-Russian individual sanctions on the initiative of Berlin. The source noted that the technical work on the relevant acts would follow.
"It was Germany's initiative in the Council of European Union to include individuals and organizations, firms on the sanctions list. I am afraid, in this situation, the German side had no other option, because it was a violation of the sanctions regime, which, in my opinion, is linked to the activities of particular individuals in Russia. I will stress that Siemens has been acting in line with the sanctions regime," Harms said.
In early July, Siemens created a task force team to investigate reports about the alleged transfer of turbines produced by Siemens Gas Turbines Technologies, a joint venture with the Russian Power Machines company, to the Crimean peninsula. On Friday, the company said that all four of its turbines intended for a project in Taman were illegally delivered to Crimea.
On July 11, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said that the new power plants in Crimea would be equipped with turbines manufactured in Russia and not with ones imported from the West. Commenting on the situation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that all products used in Crimea made in Russia.
