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Anti-Russian sanctions

EU has no consensus on anti-Russian sanctions’ expansion or canceling — Russia's EU envoy

According to the Russian diplomt, EU politicians are realizing no sanctions will be able to change Russia’s position regarding Crimea or the situation in Ukraine

© ITAR-TASS/Maxim Nikitin

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MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. The European Union is developing the awareness the anti-Russian sanctions make no sense, Russia’s EU envoy Vladimir Chizhov told a news conference on Monday.

"In the EU the understanding has been growing no sanctions will be able to change Russia’s position regarding Crimea or the situation in Ukraine in general," he said.

Chizhov also said the European Union showed no consensus regarding the question of expanding or deepening sanctions, as well as their eventual abolition."

"If the situation involving sanctions in the EU is to be summarized, I would say that the EU is no longer ready to make wrong decisions, but it is not yet prepared to make the correct ones," the diplomat said. "In the EU there is no consensus either way."

Last Thursday the leaders of the EU member-states agreed that the economic sanctions should stay in effect until the Minsk Accords have been implemented to the full extent.

The diplomat stressed that Moscow is sure that Berlin and Paris see Kiev violating the Minsk peace deal for east Ukraine.

"We bring to the attention of European capitals, including the co-sponsors of the Minsk agreements - Germany and France, Kiev’s violations of the Minsk agreements," Chizhov said, adding that: "We are sure they understand that."

"As for coverage of events in Ukraine by the European Union, the situation is changing as compared to the way it has been before," he said, noting that developments in Ukraine’s war-torn east were now covered "from different points of view".

Russia-EU strategic partnership to be restored in new form

According to Chizhov, restoration of the strategic partnership between Russia and the European Union is inevitable, but it will be in a completely new form.

"Strategic partnership between Russia and the EU and its restoration are inevitable but only in a different format," Chizhov said. "The construction, which used to exist, failed to pass the test of the Ukrainian crisis. I believe that we will be paying more attention to the substance [of the partnership] instead of catchy slogans."

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Foreign policy Sanctions vs. Russia EU Vladimir Chizhov

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