MOSCOW, October 18. /TASS/. First Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Federation Council (upper house of parliament) International Affairs Committee, Vladimir Jabarov, has called Kiev's decision to expand Ukraine’s sanctions list of Russian companies and politicians ridiculous.
"These lists compiled by Ukraine interest no one. These sanctions are quite ridiculous for Russian politicians," the senator whose name is on the list as well told TASS. According to Jabarov, Kiev will lift all the sanctions once "its bosses in Washington order to end them."
The senator added that no self-respecting Russian politicians would choose to visit Ukraine at the moment. "There is a complete mess there, with the Right Sector running the show. One may bump up against terrorists of any levels there," Jabarov said.
Another senior Russian legislator has dismissed as a "ritual dance" Ukraine’s decision to expand sanctions against Russian citizens and enterprises:
"Ukraine’s latest steps look pretty much like a ritual dance or evidence of inflated self-esteem," Gutenev said, adding that Ukraine ceased to be an independent country long ago.
"It merely follows the instructions the Ukrainian leadership gets from its western sponsors. I can see no damage these steps can cause to the Russian economy," Vladimir Gutenev, a member of the Russian State Duma, added.
The politician believes that Ukraine once again not just sacrifices its economic development potential, but arouses its own citizens’ serious discontent, because they are aware the preservation of economic relations with neighbors is a prerequisite of the country’s prosperity."
"Ukraine’s decisions of two years ago have in fact ruined the future of its industry that had been strongly integrated with the Russian economy. Even if there have remained some elements of cooperation, they have nothing to do with high-tech industries," Gutenev said.
Path to economic collapse
Vyacheslav Nikonov, a member of the Russian State Duma lower parliament house with the ruling United Russia party, told TASS Ukraine’s further sanctions against Russian companies and politicians will only lead to its own economic collapse.
"[Ukrainian President Pyotr] Poroshenko’s policy is absolutely inadequate and is harmful to Ukraine as all those companies that fall under the Ukrainian sanctions have or had business relations with Ukraine this or that way. It is path to economic collapse Ukraine is rapidly rushing to," he noted.
"It is obvious that Poroshenko is doing wrong to himself, with his policy enjoying support of less than five percent of Ukrainians. Basically, he is living on external support," he said, adding that the Ukrainian president is obeying "dictation from Washington."
Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation studying Ukraine’s new sanctions
A source in Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said the company is analyzing reports about Ukraine’s new sanctions against Russia.
"We are studying this information, in particular, from the point of view of possible impacts of the company’s being put on the Ukrainian blacklist," the source said.
The UAC has been taking effort to replace foreign-made components with domestically manufactured ones and to diversify suppliers of aviation systems, the source added.
"It helps us reduce possible risks," he stressed.
Earlier on October 18, the press service of Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko made public an updated list of the Russian individuals and legal entities sanctioned by Kiev. The list of individuals that comprised 347 people has increased by 335 people, while 167 companies have been added to the list that used to include 104 legal entities.
The list includes Rosoboronexport, Rostec, Izhmash, Kamaz, United Aircraft Corporation and its Ilyushin affiliate.
The blacklist of individuals has been supplemented with Crimea’s Head Sergei Aksyonov, LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and others.
Among those sanctioned by Kiev is a group of Russian lawmakers, including Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko, senators Elena Mizulina, Andrei Klishas, Vladimir Jabarov, Viktor Ozerov, Alexander Totoonov, Yevgeny Bushmin, head of the State Duma International Affairs Committee Leonid Slutsky and Secretary of United Russia’s General Council Sergei Neverov.