EU must realise Russia sanctions lead nowhere

THE European Union’s decision to extend sanctions against Russia over Ukraine is a destructive policy that will lead nowhere, Russia’s foreign ministry said on Friday.

“It’s time for the European Union to really think about the lack of prospects for the sanctions standoff, which only harms the people and the economies of our countries,” the ministry said in a statement.

Russia said it felt “disappointment” at the EU decision on Thursday to add new names to a sanctions blacklist and accused the bloc of anti-Russian bias.

“The one-sided reading by Brussels of what is happening in the conflict inside Ukraine deprives it of the right to act as an ‘impartial broker’,” Russia said.

It in turn accused Kiev of deliberately causing the recent increase of violence in east Ukraine to influence the EU foreign ministers.

“Our concrete proposals both on resolving the situation in Ukraine and on returning the European process onto a constructive track remain in force,” Russia said.