AMSTERDAM, August 25. /ITAR-TASS/. Sanctions against Russia are not working as the popularity of President Vladimir Putin is only rising, Royal Dutch Shell ex-CEO Jeroen van der Veer told Dutch TV channel Buitenhof in an interview Monday.

“The sanctions are not working. The popularity (of Putin) in Russia is not decreasing due to the sanctions, it is growing,” van der Veer said.

Shell ex-CEO is sure that the conflict has to be solved diplomatically. “It is hard to achieve. Moscow and Kiev must want to negotiate, while Russia must respect Ukrainian borders.”

Van der Veer was Shell’s CEO until 2009.