Official: EU not to expand anti-Crimea sanctions but relations hurt

MOSCOW, Dec 24 (PRIME) -- The E.U. does not see any reason or necessity to extend the sanctions against Moscow over the accession of Crimea but the relations between Moscow and Brussels will never be the same, ambassador Vygaudas Usackas told PRIME in an interview published Thursday.

“I see neither need, nor reason to do this now,” Usackas said.

The relations between Russia and the E.U. were irreversibly damaged, and no Russia–E.U. summits are expected in the foreseeable future, he said. “I must also note that our relations in the future will not be like they used to be because an explicit aggression of Russia (towards Ukraine) has hurt the trust very strongly.”

“I would say that this is a part of the new reality: most probably, there will be no such high-level, symbolic meetings as the semiannual Russia–E.U. summit used to be before the crisis.”

The official said separately that the E.U. calls on both Russia and Ukraine to continue productive negotiations on repayment of Kiev’s U.S. $3 billion Eurobond debt. “Nobody is interested in Ukraine’s default,” he said.

Europe still hopes that Russia and Ukraine will continue the free trade after January 1, when the Ukraine–E.U. trade association deal comes into force, Usackas said. “We still hope that Russia will not isolate itself and will not stop the force of the CIS free trade agreement regarding Ukraine.” He also said that the E.U. authorities think that Russia’s decision to stop the free trade breaches the Minsk peace agreement rules.

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