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Anti-Russian sanctions

EU’s sanctions urge continues but experience shows restrictions fail to work — diplomat

"If any additional restrictive measures are assumed Russia is ready for them and in turn, it will weigh moves for neutralizing those sanctions and imposing response measures if necessary," Alexander Grushko added

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko

© Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

MOSCOW, October 23. /TASS/. The European Union’s sanctions urge against Russia continues, though the previous experience shows that restrictions do not work, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said.

"The European Union is constantly searching for new sanctions against Russia. The sanctions urge continues. However, the whole previous experience of sanctions imposed, and I should note that there have already been 11 packages, shows definitely that, first, those sanctions fail to work, second, they cause harm to the European Union itself," he told reporters when commenting on the EU’s intention to start consultations on the 12th package of anti-Russia sanctions.

"If any additional restrictive measures are assumed Russia is ready for them and in turn, it will weigh moves for neutralizing those sanctions and imposing response measures if necessary," Grushko added.

The EUobserver portal said on Friday, October 20, that behind-closed-doors talks on a new package of EU anti-Russia sanctions could start shortly. Russian diamonds will be included in the 12th package of EU sanctions against Moscow, according to the portal.

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