MOSCOW, February 12. /TASS/. The European Union is preparing a 16th package of sanctions against Russia despite the mounting costs of these measures on the union's own economies, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Youssef Ahmed Al-Sharif.
"The European Union is already preparing a 16th package of sanctions, while their own economies are suffering as a result. The cost of Russian gas and other energy resources has surged—resources that for decades played a key role in driving economic growth, particularly in Germany and other leading EU nations," the minister said.
As Lavrov pointed out, anti-Russian sanctions "do not help anyone in the world develop trade and economic ties, and instead only harm those countries that introduce these restrictions."
"Look at what the expert community is saying about President [of the US Donald] Trump’s decision to introduce 25% steel and aluminum duties for all countries that supply these goods to the United States. They have already calculated that this will have a significant negative impact on the very economy that institutes these measures," he said.