Though Moscow hears calls from Western business circles for Russian countermeasures to be lifted, it does not consider the matter urgent until the anti-Russian sanctions are lifted.
“The food embargo was introduced because we think our state interests were affected. And the question of Russia lifting the so-called counter-sanctions is not considered at this stage,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko told reporters on Thursday.
He admitted that Moscow “is hearing voices from many our partners, and even clearer statements from many representatives of business circles: ‘soften’, ‘cancel’, ‘take our country, our company, our holding from under the sanctions’.”
“Such talk may sound pleasing to our ears but in practice they have nothing to do with the decision making,” the deputy prime minister said.
“The matter is not up to isolated countries but the EU must review its decision [regarding the sanctions against Russia], which was profoundly wrong and, most importantly, as practice and time have proved, inflicts considerable damage not to us but primarily to them,” Prikhodko said.
