The heads of state and government of the EU countries are going to extend the economic sanctions against Moscow, imposed due to the conflict in Ukraine, for another six months at a summit in December. However, Russia has no plans to introduce new responses to the EU sanctions. Whether Moscow's position will influence the normalization of its relations with Europe is a big question.
According to the Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov, first time in decades there is a sharp reduction in our trade turnover with the European Union: "The year before it exceeded 450 billion dollars. Over the past year the figures have become more modest. It amounted to about 377 billion dollars. And the dynamics of the first months of this year were not positive at all ".
The diplomat said that there are objective factors related to the economic difficulties in Europe and Russia. And with changes in prices for energy carriers, which in monetary terms accounted for a large part of this trade turnover. Changes in the ruble exchange rate, for example.
Meshkov acknowledged that today the contacts between Russia and the EU on the top level have been stopped: "For the second year we have not held any summits, which should have been held twice a year. The Permanent Partnership Council at the level of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the High Representative for Foreign Policy of the European Union is not working. But it should be noted that the Council has not met since 2011. That means that we had a reduction of contacts even then."
According to the diplomat, it is not necessary to talk about any positive trends, ‘’though it is necessary to give credit to relations in a bilateral format with many European countries, as well as working-level contacts with the European Commission and the High Representative's office, they have remained. And our partners are increasingly thinking about the defectiveness of the line which has been conducted for the last year or year and a half in relation to Russia. As for NATO, we can speak briefly, because we do not have relations with NATO."
