Moscow: New Sanctions Against Russia Undermine Interests of EU States
Icicles hang from one of the frozen mermaid statues in one of the fountains in Trafalgar Square in London on February 10, 2021.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Imposing new sanctions on Russia is the choice of the European Union, but these measures undermine the interests of the member states as well, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Sputnik on Friday.
"They [EU states] are abandoning market principles — in energy, finance, and in many other areas. This is their choice. But this choice, when implemented in concrete actions, undermines international economic relations in the form, in which they have been formed in recent years, and undermines the economic interests of these countries," Grushko said.
It is impossible not to see that all these sanctions benefit the United States, the diplomat said, adding that Russia will develop measures to ensure its economic interests.On Thursday, the EU agreed in principle on the ninth package of sanctions against Russia. The final technical procedure for the execution of the sanctions package is expected to be completed on Friday, after which the sanctions must be published in the EU Official Journal, after which they will come into force.CC0 / / EU flag
EU flagAfter Moscow launched its special operation in Ukraine in February, the US, European Union, and Britain imposed economic restrictions against Russia. In October, the EU adopted its eighth package of sanctions, which included a legislative basis for setting a price cap for maritime shipments of Russian oil to third countries.In December, the EU also joined that G7 decision to set a price cap on Russian oil at $60 per barrel. The cap will be reviewed every two months to remain at 5% below the International Energy Agency benchmark. Moscow, however, refused to accept the price limit, saying that Russian oil would only be sold to countries on a market basis.So far, the sanctions have resulted in a major fuel crisis in Europe, record-high inflation and skyrocketing energy prices.
