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All countries joining EU's anti-Russian sanctions unrealistic — Austrian Foreign Minister

Alexander Schallenberg noted that the EU is close to negotiating another package of restrictions
Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg Brendan Smialowski/Pool Photo via AP
Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg
© Brendan Smialowski/Pool Photo via AP

STOCKHOLM, May 12. /TASS/. The EU understands that not all states are ready to join the anti-Russian sanctions, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said during the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers Friday.

"We should not divide the world in to black and white and say that everyone should join the sanctions. We know that it is unrealistic. But there is a difference between those who do not join the sanctions and those who deliberately circumvents them," he said.

He noted that the EU is close to negotiating another package of restrictions. In his opinion, the EU must have an option to apply trade restrictions against third countries involved in circumvention of sanctions and help shipping sanctioned goods from Europe to Russia.

"Undoubtedly, we have difficult discussions about some third countries ahead of us," the diplomat said.