Russia’s Permanent Representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov explained what steps the European Union may take against the US bill expanding Russia sanctions.
"The talk is still ongoing about some serious measures as, for instance, announcing that this US law is invalid within the European Union," he said in a televised interview with the Rossiya’24 channel. "The second step is to halt financing US companies by European banks," Chizhov noted, stressing that those measures could not be compared with the amount of possible damage to European businesses in case the bill would be implemented in its current version.
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the EU said that European business was considerably alarmed by the situation with the anti-Russian sanctions. "They do not include just energy companies directly engaged in collaboration with the Russian side, but many, many others," he stressed, adding that recently the EU "has been doing everything possible to minimize the damage" from sanctions but had not achieved tangible success.
According to hi, the bill imposing tougher restrictions on Russia, Iran and North Korea is likely to be approved. "Nobody can expect that the bill will not pass through the US Senate. Besides, nobody can expect that President Donald Trump will opt for not signing it into law. Actually, Trump is in a hopeless situation," Chizhov stated.
He said that Russia clarifies to the European Union its position on the US sanctions. "The gist of a diplomat’s work does involve contacts, clarification of our stance, clarification of those repercussions that might stem from [adoption of the bill slapping more sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea]," TASS cited Chizhov as saying.
"Further bilateral collaboration between the EU and Russia would depend on Brussel’s response to the new US sanctions," Russia’s Permanent Representative to the EU stressed.
