The EU will not achieve anything by extending the anti-Russian sanctions, said Anton Morozov, member of the International Affairs Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
The European Union has extended economic sanctions against Russia for six months.
The decision is technical: the restrictions expire on January 31, and Brussels is not going to abandon them. Unlike the Americans, the European Union does not have such a law as CAATSA, and the sanctions themselves are formally imposed urgently.
The reason is “the situation around the implementation of the Minsk agreements”.
If in 2015-2016 there was talk about the possible lifting or limitation of anti-Russian sanctions, today no one talks about it. Restrictions have become an integral part of Russian-European relations.
“The Europeans will sooner or later understand that Russia is too big a country to try to put pressure on us and impose some conditions due to such restrictions. We have our own resources and we can provide ourselves with everything we need. Rather, it is of a declarative nature, rather than a practical implementation, ”concludes Morozov.
However, this decision of Brussels confirms that there are problems and difficulties in our bilateral relations.
“So far, our relations with the EU are at a rather low point. They require more active negotiations and the conviction of the European partners in the futility of such a line on Russia, ”sums up Morozov.
Bilateral contacts in the inter-parliamentary format with colleagues from the EU show that there is an understanding that such a policy does not bring tangible dividends, but only hinders the development of both sides.
“Brussels’ policy damages the interests of European companies. In the near future, European business will continue to put pressure on their governments so that they abandon anti-Russian measures, ”says Morozov.