Russia vows response to new European sanctions

Russia on Friday vowed a “painful response” to the new package of sanctions imposed by the European Union and to take effective and strict steps in this regard. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a comment published on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website that Russia strongly condemns any illegal unilateral coercive measures. The number of countries that support and back this approach is growing. Naturally, Russia will respond to the latest package of sanctions imposed by the European Union with effective and strict steps.

Zakharova emphasized that “even in Brussels, they do not believe in the success of sanctions against Russia, but they insist on following a suicidal path for the European Union.”

The European Union announced yesterday, Thursday, that it had adopted the nineteenth package of economic sanctions against Russia.

The new package includes a complete halt to imports of liquefied natural gas from Russia and additional measures against the Russian shadow fleet, which allows Moscow to export oil by circumventing Western sanctions.

The sanctions also targeted 117 new vessels from this fleet, bringing the total number of vessels subject to EU sanctions to 558.

The new sanctions target companies in several third countries, including 12 in China and three in India, accused of helping Moscow circumvent Western sanctions and transfer technology, particularly that used in drone manufacturing.