MOSCOW, March 21. /ITAR-TASS/. Sanctions against Russia are attempts of Western politicians to excuse themselves and shift the responsibility for their failure to Russia, State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin said.
"In the intention to impose sanctions against Russia I see nothing else but an attempt of Western politicians to be justified in the eyes of the public and lay the responsibility for their failure on our country," the speaker told the lower house meeting on Friday.
They led Ukraine to chaos, deep political crisis and civilian causalities, he stressed. However, sanctions have never solved such problems and never helped in any way to strengthen the international law, he noted. Sanctions are double-edged swords, he added.
"We'll see how Western voters and taxpayers will support and whether they will support such a policy when they feel its negative effect," he said.
"The world is not a chessboard. Real people with free will live in it, but not pawns and queens moved on the chessboard by someone's hand, “ the speaker added.
State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin is included in the list published on Thursday. The list was extended to include 14 more Russian officials and five businessmen.