Russia regrets that the United States has decided to extend sanctions on Russia over its role in the Ukraine crisis. For the US, it's another year, and the EU, for another 6 months.
Moscow says it regrets Washington's decision to extend sanctions against Russia for another year. US President Barack Obama extended Executive Order 13660 on Wednesday, outlining sanctions against certain Russian individuals and entities over Moscow’s role in the Ukrainian crisis. However analysts say that this decision came as no surprise for Moscow.
As well as the US, the European Union has decided to extend its sanctions on 149 Russian and Ukrainian nationals it sees as responsible for the conflict in Ukraine for further six months. The list includes senior Russian politicians and close allies of Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
Relations between Moscow and the West deteriorated sharply over Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine almost 2 years ago. The US, the EU and some other countries imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia’s energy, banking as well as defence industries. Moscow responded with a EU and US food import ban. It’s not clear if Russia will respond with any counter measures. But people in Russia are divided over how they think the government should react.
The sanctions are applicable to a number of Russian citizens, including state officials, and to officials of the government of Ukraine’s former President Viktor Yanukovych. Apart from that, a number of Russian companies and businessmen, as well as the leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk Republic also fell under the sanctions.
