First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs Dmitry Novikov called the extension of EU sanctions against the Russian Federation “another round of anti-Russian mass,” noting that despite the differences between Washington and the European Union, Euro-Atlantic solidarity continues to work when it comes to sanctions against Russia .
Earlier on Friday, the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, said at a press conference that the heads of state of the European Union heard during the video summit information from the leaders of Germany and France on the implementation of the Minsk agreements, and now the EU can proceed to prolong economic sanctions against the Russian Federation. Now the sanctions are valid until July 31, they are extended for six months.
The discussion at the summit of the situation with the Minsk agreements usually precedes the political decision of the leaders to extend the sanctions. Then the EU Council formally enshrines such a decision.
“There is another round of anti-Russian mass, the European Union regularly makes anti-Russian sanctions decisions. This has been happening since 2014 in connection with the return of Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation. There is no special news in this case,” Novikov told RIA Novosti.
“There is another, there is the fact that despite the well-known contradictions that escalated with the arrival of Trump Washington in the White House, nevertheless, Euro-Atlantic solidarity with respect to Russia continues to work, it manifests itself, despite the differences that exist between Washington and the European Union … regarding the fate of NATO, there are economic contradictions there, but nevertheless, there are general approaches related to the implementation of the sanctions policy in relation to our country, “Novikov noted.
According to the parliamentarian, the best “response to this kind of action would be a further” effective vigorous integration “of Crimea into Russia. Novikov noted that Crimea never fell out of the common cultural space, and as regards the space of economic and economic opportunities, everything needs to be done further so that Russia is united by a “solid common framework of economic interests, transport infrastructure, and economic ties.”
He noted that if Russia, now searching for ways to start economic growth after the coronavirus pandemic, can not focus on the old paradigm of socio-economic development, but take into account new frontiers, new approaches, then, accordingly, economic growth will be faster and foreign policy against the background of economic opportunities, it will be possible to carry out “even more effective, energetic and convincing.”
Relations between Russia and Western countries worsened due to the situation in Ukraine and around Crimea, which reunited with Russia after a referendum on the peninsula. The West, having accused the Russian Federation of interference, imposed sanctions against it, Moscow took retaliatory measures, headed for import substitution and more than once stated that talking with her in the language of sanctions is counterproductive. Russia has repeatedly stated that it is not a party to the conflict in Ukraine and the subject of Minsk settlement agreements. Recently in Europe, opinions are increasingly being heard about the need to lift sanctions against the Russian Federation.