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TASS
Speaker of the state Duma Vyacheslav Volodin urged European politicians to think about the consequences that may apply to their countries anti-Russian sanctions.
“Sanctions in themselves are devastating, first and foremost, in the relationship. Especially those who impose them, thinking about himself and not thinking about those who are close. Of course, we would like to our colleagues, our neighbours — the countries of Europe thought about, what impact can these sanctions apply, including their countries, although these sanctions are imposed against Russia,” — said Volodin at a meeting with first Deputy President of the National Council of Austria Karlheinz Kopf.
“When the senators and congressmen will come to convince the European parliamentarians to the need for their decisions, it will be honest and clear what they want. Because it concerns the countries of Europe. But when they arrive, not convinced, not engaged in dialogue, and make these decisions, and become hostages of all European countries, just unacceptable,” he said.
Relations between Russia and the EU deteriorated due to the situation in the Donbass, where Kiev in April 2014 began a military operation against the breakaway LC and the DNI, which declared independence after a coup in Ukraine in February 2014. Western countries have imposed a series of sanctions against Russia, Moscow has retaliated.
Earlier Friday, foreign Minister of Germany Sigmar Gabriel and the Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern condemned the draft of new U.S. sanctions, which, as they noted, it is “about the sale of us liquefied natural gas and squeezing of Russian natural gas supplies to the European market.” Gabriel and Kern believe that political sanctions instruments should not be linked with economic interests.