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Russia can drop claims to WTO if West slaps no sanctions

MOSCOW, August 28. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia may abandon plans to file complaints to the World Trade Organization (WTO) if Western countries do not step up their sanctions, Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said in a news conference Thursday.

In the nearest future, Russia does not plan to file complaints against the countries that imposed sanctions on it, “but it is highly likely that, generally, we will file claims, it is only a matter of technical readiness,” Ulyukayev said.

“The situation is dynamic, it depends on the partners’ behavior. If they demonstrate efforts towards deescalation - then we will restrain from the measures, if not - we will speed them up.”

Previously, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia, as a member of the WTO, will use all possible means to challenge the sanctions, imposed on it by the Western countries, in the framework of the organization.

Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said Russia has not prepared any new sanctions in response to the Western restrictions, as it relies upon the reason of its colleagues from the EU and the US. “We still count on the projects (in Russia) which are being implemented today to be continued,” he said.