EU ‘should be ashamed’ after sanctions on Russia
Published time: April 29, 2014 12:06
The Russian Foreign Ministry responded with a scathing statement to the EU’s new round of sanctions against Russia, saying Europe apparently has no insight into the political situation in Ukraine.
“Instead of forcing the Kiev clique to sit down with south-eastern Ukraine to negotiate the country’s future
political system, our partners are toeing Washington’s
line to take more unfriendly gestures towards Russia,”
the statement declared.
political system, our partners are toeing Washington’s
line to take more unfriendly gestures towards Russia,”
the statement declared.
“If somebody in Brussels hopes to stabilize the situation in
Ukraine by this, it is evidence of a total lack of understanding of the internal political situation in that country and invites local
neo-Nazis to continue their lawlessness and thuggery
towards the peaceful civilians of the south-east,”
the statement said.“Are you not ashamed?”
The reproof comes in response to EU’s unveiling a list of 15 names targeted by the union’s new round of sanctions against Russia over
its stance on the Ukrainian political crisis. The move comes a day after a similar move by Washington, although the American
sanctions targeted fewer people and are also aimed at some
Russian companies.
its stance on the Ukrainian political crisis. The move comes a day after a similar move by Washington, although the American
sanctions targeted fewer people and are also aimed at some
Russian companies.
The EU list includes Russian officials like Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s new Minister for Crimean Affairs Oleg Savelyev and Crimea’s new Senator Olga Kovitidi.
It also target Ukrainian leaders of the protest movement in the east
of the country, including Igor Strelkov, a Ukrainian militia
commander in Slavyansk, who Kiev claims is actually a Russian military intelligence officer named Igor Girkin. Kiev failed to
provide any proof of the claims, and its previous US-endorsed evidence of alleged Russian military presence in Ukraine proved
to be false.
of the country, including Igor Strelkov, a Ukrainian militia
commander in Slavyansk, who Kiev claims is actually a Russian military intelligence officer named Igor Girkin. Kiev failed to
provide any proof of the claims, and its previous US-endorsed evidence of alleged Russian military presence in Ukraine proved
to be false.
The Tuesday move brings to 48 the number of individuals targeted
by European asset freezes and travel bans.
by European asset freezes and travel bans.
Unlike Washington, Brussels didn’t level sanctions against businessmen like Igor Sechin, the head of Russian energy giant Rosneft, who is reputed to have strong ties with President Vladimir Putin, but does not hold any office in the Russian government.
The individuals targeted by the sanctions were calm and sarcastic about them, as was the case with the previous rounds of sanctions.
“It’s such small thing that has no effect on my life or work that I could only say ‘stupid, but flattering’”Savelyev told ITAR-TASS.
Russian Senate Speaker Valentina Matvienko, who was targeted
by a previous round of personal sanctions, said Russia
“may thank the West, because with their actions they are consolidating further the Russian society, while Russia has enough resilience to respond to any possible damage from such sanctions.”
by a previous round of personal sanctions, said Russia
“may thank the West, because with their actions they are consolidating further the Russian society, while Russia has enough resilience to respond to any possible damage from such sanctions.”
In a separate move on Tuesday Japan issued visa bans on 23 people, expanding its own sanctions against Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry called the move “clumsy” and “obviously taken under foreign pressure,” adding that it would not go without a response.
The US and its allies are imposing more sanctions against Russian
and Ukrainian individuals and companies in a bid to ramp up the
cost of Moscow’s policy towards Ukraine. The West accuses
Russia of deliberately escalating tensions in eastern Ukraine in a
bid to undermine the authorities in Kiev, which are considered
mostly illegitimate by Russia, but are supported by
Western countries.
and Ukrainian individuals and companies in a bid to ramp up the
cost of Moscow’s policy towards Ukraine. The West accuses
Russia of deliberately escalating tensions in eastern Ukraine in a
bid to undermine the authorities in Kiev, which are considered
mostly illegitimate by Russia, but are supported by
Western countries.
Russia sees the attitude as duplicitous, considering the support the
US and the EU gave to anti-government protest in Kiev, which escalated into an armed coup that brought the current leadership
of Ukraine into power. It also says Kiev is failing to do the necessary steps towards defusing the situation, namely disarming the nationalist militias which were the cornerstone of the coup, and calling off the military crackdown on the protest in the east.
US and the EU gave to anti-government protest in Kiev, which escalated into an armed coup that brought the current leadership
of Ukraine into power. It also says Kiev is failing to do the necessary steps towards defusing the situation, namely disarming the nationalist militias which were the cornerstone of the coup, and calling off the military crackdown on the protest in the east.
Comments (4)
Mossadegh 29.04.2014 12:48
Geoffrey Radcliffe 29.04.2014 12:41
Mikhas 29.04.2014 12:32
President Yanukovich was negotiating with the EU, wanting to sign the Agreement on condition that Ukraines sovereign status be respected and its industry given free access to EU markets just as EU countries would be provided free access to Ukraine. What he got was a demand that the EU would have a free hand in Ukraine without ONE guarantee that Ukraine could export ONE PRODUCT in the EU. Worse, a demand was made that Ukraine join NATO. Thats what happened.
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