The anti-Russian restrictive measures introduced by the European Union are illegitimate and only expand the circle of countries ready to listen to Moscow's position.

Thus, the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the EU commented on the ninth package of sanctions adopted the day before.

“Unilateral restrictive measures against third countries and their citizens have long become Brussels' favorite foreign policy tool... It is not surprising that more and more states are listening to our arguments.

They are not ready to accept the dishonest rules of the game and follow the imposed guidelines,” the Russian diplomatic mission said in a statement.

The mission noted that “it is obvious” to the goal pursued by Brussels to put pressure on sovereign states.

“And the means to achieve it are illegitimate.

The introduction of restrictive measures contradicts the system of international financial and trade relations, runs counter to the fundamental principles of the WTO,” the diplomats stressed.

At the same time, they recalled that not so long ago, Brussels itself argued that the application of extraterritorial sanctions was illegal.

Now the EU is not only actively using them, but has also developed a mechanism for “punishing” its own citizens and representatives of third countries for the so-called circumvention of anti-Russian restrictions, the permanent mission noted.

In this regard, they asked the question: is the European Union not taking on too much, “claiming to be an international policeman and judge”?

In turn, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, in a commentary for the media, noted that new restrictions against Russia would only exacerbate socio-economic problems in the EU itself.

In addition, she stressed that "the EU's obsession with anti-Russian sanctions" has caused significant damage to developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, which cannot compete with Western countries in the struggle for resources.

Sanctions and concessions

The ninth package of EU sanctions against Russia came into force on December 16 after the publication of the relevant regulation in the Official Journal of the EU.

Russian politicians, members of the Cabinet of Ministers, governors, judges of the Constitutional Court, all parliamentary parties of the country, a number of journalists and cultural figures, Roskomnadzor, banks and media companies fell under the restrictions.

In addition, restrictions were extended to organizations in the military-industrial complex, mechanical engineering and the energy sector, as well as to the Russian Armed Forces and volunteer units.

At the same time, the EU extended the ban on the export of a number of goods and technologies related to aviation and space technology.

In particular, it now applies to aircraft engines and their parts, as well as drones.

In general, the restrictions affected 141 people and 49 companies.

All persons on the list are prohibited from entering the EU, their assets in the Commonwealth are subject to blocking, and their contacts with European businesses are limited.

At the same time, the new package of measures provides for "indulgence", which the EU allegedly explained by the desire to contribute to the preservation of world food security.

According to the document, those Russian citizens “who played a significant role in international trade in agricultural and food products” before they were included in the sanctions list will be removed from the restrictions.

According to the EUobserver portal, this decision caused discontent among Lithuania and Poland, which threatened to block the adoption of new restrictions.

However, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain insisted on applying exceptions for some Russians.

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Not in the interest

Experts note that many countries in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East criticize the sanctions imposed against the Russian Federation, pointing out that they are detrimental to the global economy.

In particular, representatives of Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela spoke out against restrictions back in April on the sidelines of a webinar organized by the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

So, the Ambassador of Argentina in Moscow, Eduardo Antonio Zuine, said that the sanctions "are meaningless, since they hit the least protected group of the population."

In turn, Brazilian Ambassador to the Russian Federation Rodrigo Baena Soares emphasized that his country does not support restrictions, as they affect food security.

On May 24, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also pointed out that third countries suffer from Western sanctions against the Russian Federation.

“Even countries that are not involved in the conflict are being harmed by the sanctions imposed against Russia,” TASS quoted him as saying.

In turn, Russian Ambassador to Angola Vladimir Tararov, in a September interview with Izvestia, said that anti-Russian sanctions worsen the position of African countries, as they destroy food chains that have existed for decades.

For example, due to the inability to buy wheat from Russia, Angola has lost about $14-15.4 million since the beginning of the NWO, the diplomat noted.

On November 22, during a visit to Russia, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel also condemned Western restrictions.

According to him, Cuba condemns the unfair sanctions imposed against the Russian Federation because of the situation in Ukraine.

“The causes of the current conflict must be sought in the aggressive policy of the United States of America and in the expansion of NATO to the borders of Russia,” he said during a speech in the State Duma.

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Even Turkey, a NATO member country, does not seek to support anti-Russian sanctions.

As Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin explained on the air of the Habertürk TV channel on June 26, compliance with the restrictions is not in the interests of the country and can only harm it.

“We do not impose sanctions and will not be connected to them.

We must respect our interests ... Our economic relations with Russia are of such a nature that the imposition of sanctions will cause more damage to the Turkish economy than the Russian Federation, ”TASS quotes Kalina.

In turn, China pointed to the responsibility of developed countries for pursuing a policy that would not harm third states.

“It has been repeatedly proven that sanctions are a boomerang and a double-edged sword.

Politicizing the world economy, turning it into a tool or weapon, and deliberately imposing sanctions due to its leading position in the international financial and monetary systems will ultimately only harm their own interests, as well as the interests of others, and everyone will suffer,” said the Chinese President on June 22 Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS forum.

According to American patterns

Experts interviewed by RT draw attention to the fact that recently in the European Union there has been a dramatic transformation in the attitude towards sanctions as a measure of foreign policy influence.

According to Vladimir Vinokurov, a professor at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Brussels, following the example of Washington, made them an instrument for achieving geopolitical and economic goals, turning a blind eye to the absolute illegality of such an approach.

“Brussels cannot fail to understand that their decisions are illegitimate, but they do not want to abandon this practice, considering it useful for themselves.

In this regard, they are ready to give up international legal principles and norms, only in words showing concern for some kind of world security such as food,” the specialist explained.

In this context, neither the EU nor the United States, which have long practiced the extraterritorial application of sanctions and their laws in general, do not worry about Ukraine, he said.

“The conflict in Ukraine for them is just a pretext for putting pressure on a strengthened Russia.

Their main task is to repeat the situation 30 years ago, when the USSR collapsed.

By the same principle, they want the collapse of the Russian Federation.

However, they can’t wait for this, ”Vinokurov emphasized.

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In turn, senior researcher at the Center for European Studies at IMEMO RAS Vladimir Olenchenko, in a conversation with RT, expressed the opinion that the change in Brussels' attitude towards sanctions occurred against the backdrop of the strengthening of the political elite there, "brought up by Washington."

“Initially, the EU was formed by politicians interested in strengthening the independence of Europe, preserving it as a full-fledged economic and political pole, building mutually beneficial relations with third countries.

However, today the European Commission is headed by people who are the conductors of US policy and who adapt American patterns to European reality,” the analyst said.

He also stressed that the political weakness of the European Union and the dictatorial habits of the United States are obvious to many countries today, and therefore they do not want to follow the Western course.

“Until 2007, the West, led by the United States, reigned supreme in the international economic space, crushing developing countries under itself and observing only its own interests.

However, this led to the deepest global crisis of 2007-2009.

And today it is obvious to countries that it is better to stay away from the Western course and be guided by their own interests.

And Russia acts as a reference country that was able to defend its position on the world stage and strengthen itself as a center of influence, despite pressure from the West, ”summed up Olenchenko.