Russia has condemned the “illegitimate unilateral coercive measures” by the European Union, following the 19th sanctions package aimed at forcing Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in fighting the circumvention of anti-Russia sanctions, Brussels is increasingly isolating itself on the international stage.
She said even before the adoption of the latest package, the EU disclosed it was already working on the next one, confirming the body does not believe in the effectiveness of the sanctions pressure.
“Naturally, in response to this new EU sanctions package, effective and tough measures will follow from our side,” the diplomat told reporters.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, had said the new action, which targets Russian energy, banks, and crypto exchanges, “will not be the last.”
Russia slammed Brussels for “blackmailing” third countries, as secondary sanctions affect operators from China, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, India, North Korea, Tajikistan, the UAE, and Thailand.
According to Zakharova, the EU has effectively declared that it considers itself entitled to dictate the terms of trade and economic cooperation between sovereign states.
The spokesperson stressed that “such ambitions to act as a global policeman or a global customs officer will inevitably have consequences for the EU’s place and role in the world.”
This week, President Voldymyr Zelensky again urged the United States to increase the pressure on Moscow by imposing further sanctions on state-owned companies and other interests outside Russia.
