Brussels - The ineffectiveness and mutual harm done by the so-called sanctions the United States and the European Union have imposed on Russia, which, by the way, are an instrument only the UN Security Council is entitled to use, have become obvious to everyone, said Russian Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov, adding that, above all, the sanctions were unlawful.
“By the way, many European politicians are openly admitting that. We are not discussing the tightening or alleviation or lifting of the sanctions with either the European Union or the United States. This is a problem created by them rather than us, and they will have to deal with it,” Chizhov told Interfax on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
Asked to forecast the future of EU sanctions, Chizhov said, “I would rather not make wild guesses about the possibility of new sanctions. Lots of new [sanctions] could probably be suggested if they wish [to do] so. The question is not whether they are out of options; the real question is whether the political will has run its course.”
Speaking of Russia’s possible retaliatory measures, the head of the Russian diplomatic mission to the EU said Russia was not playing the “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” game.
“The measures regarding EU farm products did not aim at punishing anyone. They were absolutely not meant to punish farmers. Their purpose was to do away with discrimination against Russian farm producers. Let me remind you that banks interacting with the Russian agricultural sector, among them Rosselkhozbank, were amongst the first targets of EU economic restrictive measures. They fell under the sanctions and their ability to lend to Russian agriculturists became limited, which put the [agricultural] sector into a vulnerable and discriminated position compared to exporters of similar products from the EU,” the envoy said.
“I won’t even mention such things as subsidies which are given to producers of a number of agricultural products, such as meat, milk and many others, in the European Union irrespective of the sanctions and irrespective of the Ukrainian crisis. Let us not forget that the EU agricultural policy is a major recipient of EU budget funds. About 40 percent of the EU budget is spent on the agricultural sector,” Chizhov said.
Clearly, there is no unanimity in the European Union on anti-Russian sanctions, he said.
“There are public statements made by the leaders of a number of EU countries, presidents and prime ministers, about the ineffectiveness of these restrictive measures but I’d rather not count their number, moreover, call them by name,” the Russian diplomat said.
As to the prospects of lodging Russian claims against sanctions with the WTO, Chizhov said the organization had a very complex and multi-stage procedure.
“First, there will be consultations and a next stage will begin unless they bring mutually acceptable results, etc. This means that the issue reaches a body which actually settles disputes very slowly. As a rule, this happens within a few years. But the sanctions have been imposed for a one-year period and the subject of the dispute may be gone by the time the procedure is over,” the Russian envoy to the EU said.
