adminFor the time being, Russia does not plan to retaliate against the West’s “soft sanctions”, Andrey Belousov, a senior economic aide to President Vladimir Putin told the Austrian Press.
“I can say openly that, as of today, we are not preparing countermeasures,” Andrey Belousov, Putin’s chief advisor to the EU, told the newspaper Die Press in an interview published yesterday.
Following the US initiative, the EU has issued two rounds of sanctions against Russia over Ukraine, first targeting politicians, and then banks and businesses. Belousov warned he hoped there would be no more.
“I hope Europe does not act foolishly with more sanctions,” Belousov said, adding that if the West does make any more moves to restrict Russia’s foreign trade, Russia may appeal to the World Trade Organisation.
So far, effects from the so-called sanctions have only been punitive, even though many Western governments tried to pressure companies and banks to abandon projects in Russia or cut off financing.
“We saw nervousness, not so much at Russian companies, but much more at foreign companies that are working in Russia,” Putin’s former chief economic adviser said.
He added foreign companies operating in or doing business with Russia will not be punished over Western sanctions and that Russia hasn’t felt any “adverse reactions” thus far. — RT.
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