MOSCOW, June 26, 12:04 /ITAR-TASS/. Certain forces, including the United States, are interested in imposing sanctions on Russia under any far-fetched pretext, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksei Meshkov said on Thursday.

“All current talk about sanctions is absolutely logical, and it is very clear that there are certain forces, in the first place, the United States, that are extremely interested in imposing sanctions against Russia under any far-fetched pretext,” he said.

“It does not depend on us whether sanctions against Russia will be introduced or not,” he added.

 

Association Agreement consultations

Consultations by Russian, Ukrainian,EU experts on Kiev's signing of Association Agreement to begin June 26 or 27, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov. “Now finally we succeeded to agree on a tripartite format, just today or tomorrow technical experts may meet and a ministerial meeting should be held in mid-July at the EU request,” he said.

“We have many issues to be discussed. Russia has given a report on its concerns,” he said.

“For more than a year Russia insists the consultations within the Russia-Ukraine-EU format be held due to Kiev’s intention to sign the Association Agreement. But Brussels rejected Russia’s proposal,” Meshkov said.

“In January the Russia-EU summit reached an agreement to this effect. Two rounds were held. But I can’t say they was a big success,” he said.

OSCE mission in Ukraine

Russia finds it needed OSCE mission should be increased to 500 observers in Ukraine, Aleksei Meshkov said.

“We believe that the mission should be increased to the agreed numerical strength of 500 people,” he said.

Twelve specialists from Russia were working in the OSCE mission, Meshkov recalled. “The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) asked us to raise the number of Russian observers to 40,” he added.

There are no risks to Russia from NATO, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov has said.

“But we see the Alliance’s potential build-up on Western borders,” Meshkov told ITAR-TASS on Thursday.

“We watch the situation and we’ll take measures to ensure security of our country,” he said.

“The US B-2 strategic bombers have flight missions over the Kaliningrad region’s territory. The US redeploys aircraft, capable of delivering nuclear arms, to the Amari airbase, Estonia. NATO builds up its presence in the Black Sea. When entering the Black Sea NATO ships carrying long-range missiles,” Meshkov said.

“Practical cooperation has been frozen. This is a negative factor,” he said.

“NATO also froze cooperation for training Afghan policemen, who fight drug trafficking. It’s rather difficult to imagine where does it concern the crisis in Ukraine,” Meshkov said.