MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Moscow will work to expand its blacklist, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Grushko told TASS on Saturday, commenting on the European Union’s ninth package of sanctions on Russia.
"We will certainly study this new package and if necessary, we will take measures to protect our interests. Clearly, we will work to expand Russia’s blacklist to include all those who are particularly known for their Russophobic views," the diplomat noted.
The EU on Friday adopted another package of sanctions on Russia, the ninth since the beginning of the year. A total of 141 individuals and 49 entities were blacklisted. The EU also introduced restrictions on three Russian banks along with a number of export bans. In addition, a procedure was launched to force four Russian TV channels off the air in the European Union. EU top diplomat Josep Borrell said that the European Union’s Russia blacklist had been extended to include a total of 1,386 individuals and 171 entities.