Russian official says no plans to ease counter-sanctions

MOSCOW, Feb 11 (PRIME) -- Russia is not currently considering easing its retaliatory sanctions, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko told reporters Thursday.

“The food ban was introduced as we believe that our government interests have been affected. And we are not considering abolishing so-called counter-sanctions at the moment,” he said.

Relations between Russia and the West deteriorated to their worse since the Cold War in 2014 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.

In mid-2015, the mutual sanctions were prolonged for one year.

Prikhodko also said that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and his French counterpart Manuel Valls did not plan to discuss the abolishment of anti-Russian sanctions at a meeting on Saturday.

“I think it would be not very correct and completely senseless for us to ask Valls to petition for the abolishment of sanctions,” he said.

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