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Kremlin says EU sanctions policy against Russia destructive

The Kremlin spokesman comments on the EU summit's discussion on new sanctions on Russia over its actions in Syria

MOSCOW, October 21 /TASS/. Kremlin is still considering the EU sanctions policy against Russia to be destructive, Russian President’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

"This opinion has remained unchanged. We believe that a stance aimed at expansion and continuation of the anti-Russian sanctions is totally destructive. We think that it is inflicting great damage to Russia’s relations with separate countries and the European Union on the whole. The citizens of countries, which are involved in the economic activities, are the worst hit," Peskov said as he commented a discussion on the need to slam new sanctions on Russia over its actions in Syria which had taken place at the European Union summit in Brussels on October 20-21.

The Kremlin spokesperson added that ordinary farmers, ordinary producers, service providers and other people were suffering from the anti-Russian sanctions in Europe. "Anyway, these sanctions are in no way contributing to the solution of problems of our joint discussion," the Kremlin press secretary concluded.

Previous media reports said that Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi had convinced the leaders of Germany, France and Britain to give up the idea of imposing sanctions on Russia over its policy in Syria. According to newspapers, the talks lasted for 9 hours during which Renzi insisted on the need to give up the proposal on new restrictive measures against Russia submitted by Berlin, Paris and London. After the EU summit’s first day, Renzi described as senseless the imposition of a new wave of sanctions on Russia over Syria.

European Council President Donald Tusk said, in turn, the heads of state and government of the European Union countries urged Russia to end violence in Syria but he did not mention a possibility of new sanctions. European sources said on the summit’s sidelines that the discussion on Russia had lasted longer than expected because the EU leaders hesitated if a sanctions warning should be included in the final declaration.