Russia to Retaliate Against New EU Sanctions – State Duma Speaker

MOSCOW –  Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin has voiced the certainty that Russia will retaliate against additional sanctions that the European Union may impose.

Naryshkin drew attention to the fact that against the backdrop of a fragile armistice in Ukraine,“Brussels has thought up nothing better than declaring more anti-Russian sanctions.”

“What kind of response are their authors expecting? A response from Russia? It will certainly follow. We cautioned our partners in advance,” Naryshkin said.

Naryshkin cautioned the European Union it would have to share the responsibility for disrupting truce in Ukraine if the purpose of sanctions against Russia is an encouraging message to Kiev.

 “It looks like the sanctions pursue one more aim – to issue an encouraging message to the authorities in Kiev”, Naryshkin speculated. “If that is really so, the European Union has assumed a large share of responsibility for disrupting the truce and for all likely consequences that may follow,” he warned.

The European Union on Monday approved new sanctions against Russia, but at the same time delayed their coming into force for several days to see progress in implementing truce in Ukraine.

Later on Wednesday, EU ambassadors will gather in Brussels for another meeting to consider whether the new package of sanctions should take effect.

Sanctions represent instrument of political blackmail

Naryshkin reiterated the idea the sanctions were “nothing but an instrument of outright political and economic blackmail abusing the basics of international law.” They are being taken “outside the framework of any transparent procedures, have no fair court decisions to rely on and are not supported at the UN level,” he stated.

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“Possibly one and all should be aware that the spiral of sanctions and confrontation and the elimination of the last elements of trust will be unable to settle the gravest Ukrainian crisis, let alone build a safe and prospering Europe, a Europe without division lines,” he added.

Naryshkin believes that the sanctions against Russia, adopted but not enforced yet, “say a lot about the quality and degree of independence of European policies, and still more about the level of responsibility, or, to be more precise, of the irresponsibility of those who make this policy.”

 “After five months of bloodshed, bombings and artillery shellings of cities and villages in Donbass a ceasefire regime has been introduced at last.”

 “The conflicting parties have agreed to truce. However fragile that truce may be, it is truce,” he said. In a situation like this, the international community must do its utmost to keep the dialogue going,” Naryshkin said.

ITAR – TASS

R.S