EU yields to US blackmail despite its own interests — FM

The European Union yielded to the US blackmail despite its own interests and chose the path of anti-Russian sanctions, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
Moscow pointed to the conclusions of the European Council meeting about the situation in Ukraine on July 16.
"We are disappointed that the European Union, contrary to its interests, yielded to the US administration blackmail and went the path of anti-Russian sanctions," the Ministry said. "Brussels, like Washington, uses "the mirror world logic", where all problems are blamed on those who make real efforts to de-escalate the situation in Ukraine, while flagrant facts such as the incessant refugees flow from Ukraine to Russia, shelling of the Russian territory and other anti-Russian provocations are conspicuously hushed up.
Supporting anti-Russian sanctions, the European Union "takes responsibility for Kiev's ongoing military operation that kills people every day", the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"Instead of using the opportunities available to start a dialogue between Kiev and respresentatives of the country's southeast, the European Union did bidding of those who advocate resolution of the internal Ukrainian conflict by force and provoking confrontation with Russia in this situation," the Ministry said.
Russia hopes that the European Union will put forward its own position in international affairs meeting interests of all countries on our continent.
Moscow considers new package of the US sanctions against Russia "a primitive attempt at revenge for the course of events in Ukraine that develops otherwise than wished by Washington", the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"If Washington intends to destroy Russia-US relations, on its head be it," the Ministry said. "We shall remain open for constructive cooperation with all countries, including the US, based on the principles of equality, non-interference in internal affairs and real consideration for each other's interests."
"We are not going to tolerate blackmail and reserve our right to take measures in response," the Ministry added.
Adopting anti-Russian sanctions, the White House instigates bloodshed in Ukraine's southeast, goes the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"Outrageous and unfounded attempts to blame Russia for the civil war in the neighbouring country that resulted from a deep internal crisis and has already led to numerous casualties is the evidence that the US and its Kiev customers' strategy to calm the popular discontent by force has failed," says the document.

"Instead of talking sense into the Ukrainian government that used aviation, heavy artillery and armoured vehicles against the people of Donbass and the Luрansk Region, the White House is instigating bloodshed," the Ministry believes. "Cynically trying to shift the responsibility and flagrantly warping the facts, it is again wielding it favourite weapon - the sanction truncheon.
US business circles will be also seriously affected due to any restrictions against Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Thursday.
“We stated repeatedly that it was useless to speak the language of sanctions no matter which scale they have with Russia,” the ministry noted, adding that “This path will lead to nothing good. This also concerns encroachments on assets of Russian companies. Those who believe in their exclusiveness and the right to dictate their will to the rest of the world will inevitably face a bitter disappointment.”
It is common knowledge that “sanctions are a double-edged instrument.” “US business quarters will be also seriously affected due to any restrictions on economic and financial co-operation, as they will have to pay White House’s bills,” the Russian Foreign Ministry warned, adding that “Barack Obama Administration’s position will also have an impact inevitably on possibilities of our co-operation in many other spheres.

First round of sanctions
On March 17, the USA published the list of people subject to sanctions, which includes several Russian and Ukrainian officials.
Western sanctions ‘counterproductive and unacceptable’ — Belarus Foreign Ministry

As the White House reported March 17, the list includes presidential aide Vladislav Surkov, presidential adviser Sergei Glazyev, Head of State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs Leonid Slutsky, Head of Federation Council's Committee for constitutional legislation Andrei Klishas, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, Chair of the Duma committee for family, women and children affairs Yelena Mizulina, Crimean Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov, Crimean State Council Speaker Vladimir Konstantinov, leader of the Ukrainian Choice public movement Viktor Medvedchuk and Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych.
Their assets in the US will be frozen, and Americans will be banned from getting into business contacts with the officials on the list.
Apart from that, a new executive order of the US president has been adopted. This order forms the basis of sanctions against the aforementioned persons. In addition, the document allows introducing punitive measures against persons and organizations serving the interests of Russia’s military industry, as well as providing material support to people included in the black list.

Second round of sanctions
On March 20, the US added to the black list another 20 Russian officials.US President Barack Obama specified that the new measures were imposed against Russian high-ranking officials and other people who did not belong to authorities in Moscow, but who, as Washington believes, support actions of the Russian government against Ukraine. Obama added that one Russian bank was also included in the list.