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Russia to retaliate EU’s blacklisting of six State Duma members

The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed to the fact that Moscow regarded the EU’s restrictive measures towards the people of Crimea and Sevastopol as "utterly unjustified collective punishment"

Russian Foreign Ministry AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky

Russian Foreign Ministry

© AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky

MOSCOW, November 9. /TASS/. The European Union’s decision to expand its black list of Russian officials under sanctions by including in it six State Duma members from Crimea and Sevastopol will do nothing to help restore a normal dialog between the legislative bodies of Russia and the European Union and will not be left unnoticed, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a commentary.

"Moscow knows about the EU Council’s November 8 decision to expand sanctions against Russian individuals by including in it six State Duma members from Crimea and Sevastopol," the commentary says.

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EU blacklists all Duma deputies from Crimea — official journal

The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed to the fact that Russia regarded the EU’s restrictive measures towards the people of Crimea and Sevastopol as "utterly unjustified collective punishment of the region’s population for the free and democratic expression of their will."

"The re-incorporation of the peninsula into Russia has been settled once and for all. Its residents elected their representatives in the Russian parliament in an absolutely legitimate way," the Foreign Ministry said.

"Restrictions against State Duma members will by no means help restore a normal dialogue between the lawmaking bodies of Russia and the European Union, which is so crucial at the current no easy stage of Russia-EU relations," the commentary runs. "The Russian side will take corresponding retaliatory measures."

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Ukraine crisis Foreign policy State Duma Sanctions

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