"You've heard comments of my colleagues who have been put on the sanctions list," the Interfax news agency quoted Kremlin's foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov as saying.
"These sanctions are already a bore, they truly cause a sense of irony and even sarcasm."
Another Kremlin aide Vladislav Surkov called the sanctions against him a "political Oscar."
"I believe these are very comfortable sanctions, I am not experiencing any problems over them. This does not disturb (me)," Interfax quoted Surkov as saying.
"On the contrary, I am proud of this, I believe it is a sort of political Oscar from America for a best supporting actor."
Ushakov declined to say whether Russia would slap counter sanctions against the West, the ITAR-TASS news agency reported........ http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_18/Western-sanctions-against-Russian-officials-arouse-irony-and-sarcasm-Kremlin-9482/
18/3/14
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Ukraine: Obama invite les dirigeants du G7 à se réunir à La Haye...
ReplyDeleteBarack Obama a invité les dirigeants du G7 et de l'Union européenne à se réunir la semaine prochaine à La Haye, en marge du Sommet sur la sécurité nucléaire, pour débattre de la situation en Ukraine, a annoncé la Maison Blanche mardi.
"Cette réunion sera centrée sur la situation en Ukraine et les prochaines décisions que le G7 pourrait prendre pour répondre à l'évolution de la situation et soutenir l'Ukraine", indique la porte-parole du Conseil de sécurité nationale (NSC), Caitlin Hayden.
Le NSC rappelle que les dirigeants du G7 ont suspendu les préparatifs en vue du sommet du G8 prévu à Sotchi (Russie) en juin pour dénoncer la "violation" de la souveraineté de l'Ukraine par Moscou...................http://www.rtl.be/info/monde/international/1077065/ukraine-obama-invite-les-dirigeants-du-g7-a-se-reunir-a-la-haye
18/3/14
Japanese PM says new measures may be taken against Russia over Crimea...
ReplyDeleteJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that Tokyo was considering new measures against Russia in connection with the signing of the agreement on the accession of Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation.
“We will examine further steps against Russia,” Abe told a meeting in the budget committee of the upper house of parliament. “We criticize (Russia’s annexation of Crimea) for breaching Ukraine’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Tokyo on March 18 in connection with the events around Ukraine suspended negotiations with Russia on easing the visa regime and froze the beginning of talks on the possible conclusion of three agreements - on investment cooperation, cooperation in space exploration and on the prevention of dangerous military activity. The Japanese premier said that now Japan would consider taking new steps against Russia together with the G7 states and other countries.
He also said that he could, if the parliament situation allows, take part in an informal G7 summit to discuss the situation around Ukraine. According to Abe, the United States had proposed to hold the summit within the framework of a nuclear security forum that is to be held in The Hague on March 24-25.
http://en.itar-tass.com/world/724289?utm_medium=rss20
19/3/14
Australia sanctions Russian, Ukrainian officials...
ReplyDeleteSYDNEY: Australia on Wednesday said it will impose targeted financial sanctions and travel bans against officials involved in the annexing of Crimea, rallying behind allies the United States and the European Union.
While none of the 12 Russian and Ukrainians in the firing line was named, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said they were "individuals who have been instrumental in the Russian threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine".
"I condemn in the strongest terms Russian President Vladimir Putin's move to annex the Ukrainian territory of Crimea," she said.
"The unauthorised vote in Crimea on 16 March, carried out while Russian forces were effectively in control of the territory, cannot form the legitimate basis for any alteration of the status of Crimea."..................http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/australia-sanctions/1040878.html
19/3/14
Westliche Sanktionen gegen Russland: Rosneft-Chef rechnet mit Eskalation des Konflikts....
ReplyDeleteDie Gelassenheit russischer Wirtschaftsbosse ist nur gespielt: Auf einer Podiumsdiskussion in Japan warnte der Chef des Erdölkonzerns Rosneft vor einer Eskalation des Konflikts, falls der Westen schärfere Sanktionen verhänge. Genau das planen USA und EU.
Washington - Sanktionen des Westens werden der russischen Wirtschaftselite wahrscheinlich sehr viel mehr Kopfzerbrechen bereiten, als sie derzeit zugeben will. Gestern noch winkte der Chef des Erdölkonzerns Rosneft Igor Setschin ab, als ihn die Nachrichtenagentur Prime auf das Thema ansprach. Man sei auf Sanktionen des Westens vorbereitet, sagte er. In einem solchen Fall könnte sich die Wirtschaft des Landes anderweitig orientieren. Wenige Stunden später klang er plötzlich ganz anders. "Eine Ausweitung der Sanktionen wird den Konflikt nur verschärfen", sagte er nun in einer Diskussionsrunde in Tokio.
Ungeachtet dieser kaum verhohlenen Drohung kündigten die USA weitere Sanktionen gegen Russland wegen dessen Vorgehen in der Krim-Krise an. "Da kommt noch mehr", sagte Präsidialamtssprecher Jay Carney in Washington. Er deutete an, dass als Nächstes auch Strafmaßnahmen gegen eine Reihe von einflussreichen Oligarchen mit engen Verbindungen zu Russlands Präsident Wladimir Putin verhängt werden könnten, zu denen auch Setschin gehört. Zugleich soll in der kommenden Woche auf einem Treffen der Staats- und Regierungschefs der sieben führenden Industrienationen (G7) in Den Haag besprochen werden, wie die Gruppe die Ukraine unterstützen könnte.
Russlands Außenminister Sergej Lawrow nannte die bislang erlassenen Sanktionen in einem Telefonat mit seinem amerikanischen Kollegen John Kerry "inakzeptabel". Er drohte nach Angaben seines Ministeriums mit Konsequenzen, ohne ins Detail zu gehen............http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/soziales/sanktionen-rosneft-chef-droht-mit-eskalation-des-konflikts-a-959528.html
19/3/14
European Council chief barred from Russia by own colleagues...
ReplyDeleteEuropean Council President Herman van Rompuy asked to pay an urgent visit to Russia but his EU colleagues did not let him do so, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.
"European Council President Herman van Rompuy requested an urgent visit to Russia on March 17 but the European Council President was not allowed to come to Moscow. His own colleagues did not let him do so. Contending why he should learn the truth once the decision has been made," the ministry said in a commentary posted on Wednesday.
Voice of Russia, Interfax
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_19/European-Council-chief-barred-from-Russia-by-own-colleagues-4887/
19/3/14
EU leaders meet in Brussels to 'agree on a united European response' to Russia...
ReplyDeleteEuropean Union leaders will meet in Brussels to discuss the situation in Ukraine and to consider unpopular among many EU countries possible sanctions on Russia, although the summit was meant to focus on the bloc's gradual economic recovery, as well as its future energy and climate change policies.The 28 EU leaders due to "agree on a united European response" to the situation, EU President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso have said.
The EU has already frozen some political negotiations with Moscow, and this week imposed asset freezes and travel bans on 13 Russian and eight Ukrainian individuals.
However, Europe's capitals are not united on the issue. Some countries, especially those with close trade and business ties to Russia, are wary of acting too aggressively and closing the door on dialogue.
"Sanctions are not about showing the other how much damage can be inflicted on the sanctioned party, but about demonstrating how much pain can be tolerated by the sanctioner," wrote Georg Zachmann of the Bruegel think-tank.
According to Zachmann, stopping Russian gas imports - which amounted to 130 billion cubic metres last year, or one third of the EU's total gas imports - would send a "powerful signal," although it would come at a "high price" for the EU too. Russia is the EU's third largest trading partner, behind the United States and China.
Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz warned Monday against "arbitrary" economic measures, while Bulgaria, which is highly dependent on Russian gas, opposes "hasty and hard" EU sanctions, ruling Socialist Party leader Sergey Stanishev told local media.
Cyprus - a popular Russian banking destination - is among several countries that have raised "precautionary concerns," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said after talks Monday with his EU counterparts........Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_19/EU-leaders-meet-in-Brussels-to-agree-on-a-united-European-response-to-Russia-1797/
19/3/14
Parliament of Czech Republic speaks out against introduction of sanctions against Russia...
ReplyDeleteThe Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic did not support the proposal in which instructions were given to the government to promote, within the EU framework, the introduction of economic sanctions against Russia, RIA Novosti said with a reference to the local media.......Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_26/Parliament-of-Czech-Republic-speaks-out-against-introduction-of-sanctions-against-Russia-6433/
26/3/14