Russia weighs new bids in retaliation for bans: Official
Iran Press TV
Tue Aug 19, 2014 1:21PM GMT
Russia is working on further retaliatory measures in case the West imposes new sanctions against Moscow over the crisis in Ukraine, a Russian official says.
'Various options are being worked out. We have repeatedly said that Russia is not an advocate of the sanctions rhetoric and did not initiate it," said Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday.
"But in the event that our partners continue the unconstructive and even destructive practices, additional measures are being worked out,' he added.
Peskov further noted that the scope of Russia's additional sanctions would depend on the measures adopted by the Western countries in the future.
Earlier in August, Moscow imposed year-long food bans on the US, the EU, Australia, Canada and Norway in retaliation for their embargoes on Moscow. The ban is estimated to cost European agricultural industries millions of dollars.
Over the past months, the Western states have placed sanctions on Russia, including on its financial and energy sectors, putting a number of Russian nationals close to President Vladimir Putin on a sanctions list.
The sanctions also include an arms embargo and restricting sales of sensitive technology as well as the export of equipment for Russia's oil industry.
The Western powers accuse Moscow of playing a role in the crisis in eastern Ukraine, which erupted when Kiev launched military operations in April to silence pro-Russia protests, but the Kremlin denies the accusation.
SAB/HMV
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