Anti-Russian sanctions are imposed under strong US pressure, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday on possible EU sanctions over the Kerch Strait incident
SOCHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2019) Anti-Russian sanctions are imposed under strong US pressure, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday on possible EU sanctions over the Kerch Strait incident.
The Financial Times reported Tuesday citing sources that Western nations were "close to agreeing new sanctions against Russia" in response to the Kerch Strait incident.
"We have already said a long time ago that we are not discussing sanctions with anyone. We want to build our economy, trade with normal foreign partners so as not to depend on someone's whims. In this case, the whims of those who did not keep their word, allowed a coup in Kiev, did not make the opposition fulfill agreements with [then] president [Viktor] Yanukovych, " Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with his Lesotho counterpart Lesego Makgothi.
He said he considered the planned sanctions as a sign that the Europeans were again admitting their inability to make Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko implement the Minsk agreements.
"But we also know that these sanctions are taken under the strongest US pressure, which once again shows the EU's lack of independence. sad," Lavrov said.
