BERLIN, December 2. /TASS/. There is no reason for the European Union to remove sanctions on Russia, the EU’s newly appointed High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said in an interview with Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper.
"Sanctions on Russia remain in place, there was good reason for it. There is no reason to remove them without getting anything in exchange from Moscow," Borrell pointed out. At the same time, he said that "the sanctions in themselves do not constitute a policy." The EU top diplomat also expressed an intention to seek a balance of interests in relations with Russia.
When speaking about restrictions, Borrell noted that in Venezuela, "US sanctions are not helping resolve issues but are affecting the people" who are "facing a humanitarian crisis."
EU sanctions
In 2014, the European Union imposed sanctions on Moscow over the situation in Ukraine and Crimea’s reunification with Russia. Visa waiver negotiations and talks on a new cooperation agreement were suspended. Some Russian officials were barred from entering EU counties, their assets were frozen. Besides, trade, financial and military restrictions were also introduced. In response, Russia banned the import of a number of food products from the European Union.