The Group of Seven announced new sanctions on Russia, including barring it from acquiring technologies developed in the group's member states. The new restrictions focused mainly on removing all loopholes that allowed Moscow to bypass the imposed sanctions.
Russian observers believe that the new decisions came as a "half blow" to the Russian energy sector. The repercussions of the decision will also be tangible and affect the economy of European countries, albeit in varying forms. The West, for political considerations, will make a big mistake by stopping buying materials from Russia, says Russian observer Alexander Safarov.