Putin: Moscow wants no damage from US to relations with EU

ST. PETERSBURG, Jun 17 (PRIME) -- Moscow does not want pressure from the U.S. to damage Russia’s relations with the E.U. in any way, President Vladimir Putin said Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

“We don’t need them (the U.S.) meddling in our business, teaching us how to live, blocking Europe from building relations with us,” he said, adding that Russia’s countersanctions have no effect on the U.S.

“The sanctions that you mentioned, do they concern the U.S.? Not at all. They don’t care at all about these sanctions, because consequences from our retaliation do not cover them. They hurt Europe, but they don’t hurt the U.S., they have zero effect there. But the Americans are telling their partners that they have to endure. I don’t understand why they have to endure that. But they can if they want,” he said.

On Thursday, France’s former President Nicolas Sarkozy said that the E.U. should abolish its anti-Russian sanctions, but Moscow should make the first step in this direction.

In 2014, relations between Russia and the West deteriorated to their worse since the Cold War due to a military conflict in Ukraine. The West introduced sanctions against some Russian individuals and firms and further against the energy and banking sectors. In response, Russia limited food imports from some countries, including the U.S., the E.U., Canada, Australia, and Norway.

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