Russia says has right to answer new EU sanctions with its own

Reuters Published March 22, 2014

MOSCOW: Russia's foreign ministry said on Saturday that Moscow has the right of a tit-for-tat response to the second wave of sanctions imposed by the European Union over Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian region of Crimea.

The EU imposed a new set of sanctions on Friday adding 12 Russians and Ukrainians to a list of people targeted by EU asset freezes and travel bans. There are now 33 on the list.

“It's a pity that the European Council made a decision that is divorced from reality,” the ministry's spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement on the ministry's website.

“We believe it is time to return to the platform of pragmatic cooperation that reflects the interests of our countries. However, of course, the Russian side reserves itself the right to give a comparable answer to the actions taken.”

In a separate statement, the ministry said Moscow hoped the decision to send to Ukraine a monitoring mission of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe would help resolve what it called an “internal Ukrainian crisis”.

On Friday, after several failed attempts in recent weeks, Russia agreed to join the 56 other members of the OSCE in a consensus decision to send a six-month monitoring mission to Ukraine.

“The mission's mandate reflects the new political and legal realities and does not apply to Crimea and Sevastopol, which became a part of Russia,” Russian Foreign Ministry said in its statement on Saturday.

“Russia hopes that the objective and impartial work of the international observers will help to overcome the internal Ukrainian crisis, stop rampant nationalist banditry, eradicate ultra-radical tendencies.”

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Khangul

Mar 22, 2014 04:07pm

In many years since the end of Cold War, Russian have seen a real patriotic leader who is also a clever and a brave man. Our policy-makers must take a note of the emerging realities in the region and in the world.

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Syed (Australia)

Mar 22, 2014 05:24pm

I think Russia is playing a very positive role in controlling the European Union and American hegemony in the world. Our leaders must learn from Russian how to lead the nation even at times you have to sacrifice something big for the rule of law.

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NASAH (USA)

Mar 22, 2014 07:01pm

Ukraine -- half Ukrainian half Russian -- is not worth a confrontation between the West and Russia. We know that the Russians are no good -- but the United States also has to quit pouring kerosene on every fire -- small or big -- anywhere in the world -- because of the domestic pressures. The United States under Obama should be an arbiter a peacemaker not a perpetual confrontor -- getting involved continuously in one conflict after another since 1960. It is so tiring.

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Jamshed Khan

Mar 22, 2014 07:37pm

Agreed. Western leaders have been commiting war crimes for such a long time. They have no right to lecture others on 'legality'. Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Africa, Libya, Palestine... and the list goes on.

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ghazala

Mar 22, 2014 11:46pm

The West has gone crazy for treating Russian like a Third World nation. Days of IRAQ and Afghanistan is over have been over as they lost billions and thousands of Poor GI s No More free invasion in name of democracy. First look after poor and Jobless in your broken capitalism.

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fida sayani

Mar 23, 2014 08:36am

After referendum in Crimea, time has come for UN to hold referendum in Kashmir, Chechnya, and all other territories in the world were people are anxious to liberate themselves from their tormentors and Russia can play a very important role in this freedom.

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