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Ever more politicians in Europe see negative results of sanctions — Cyprus’s president

The president said European authorities have a growing feeling the measures against Russia will merely entail Russia’s retaliation
President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades  Mikhail Metzel/TASS
President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

NOVO-OGARYOVO, February 25. /TASS/. President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades has said that ever more European politicians have been able to see the negative effects of sanctions against Russia.

"I believe that our European counterparts have a growing feeling the measures against such a great country as Russia will merely entail Russia’s retaliation, and these countermeasures have negative results not only for Cyprus, but for a number of other EU countries, too," Anastasiades told a news conference following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Anastasiades said Nicosia and Moscow support independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. He recalled that the Ukrainian crisis was the root cause of sanctions against Russia.

He acknowledged that although it is obliged to abide by the EU decisions, Cyprus has many reasons for being moderate and at the same time frank and positive regarding the proposals that might leave room for campaigning against applying the sanctions.