Russia Weighs Response as U.S. and EU Add More Sanctions
By James G. Neuger, Daryna Krasnolutska and Ilya Arkhipov Sep 12, 2014 7:49 AM ET
Russia threatened retaliation against a U.S. and European Union decision to stiffen sanctions, saying the move to expand penalties undermines the peace process in Ukraine.
Russia will react “calmly, appropriately” to the EU sanctions, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told state TV in an interview. The EU added 15 companies, including OAO Gazprom Neft, OAO Rosneft and OAO Transneft, and 24 people to the list of those affected by its sanctions against Russia. The U.S. will also “deepen and broaden” its measures against Russia’s financial, energy and defense industries, President Barack Obama said yesterday.
The moves raise the level of confrontation and follow reprisals last month, when Russia banned a range of food imports after an earlier round of U.S. and European penalties. Russian President Vladimir Putin denies any involvement in the fighting that broke out after he annexed Crimea in March in what has become the worst crisis between Russia and its former Cold War adversaries since the fall of communism.
“The current political risks, various restrictions and barriers are worsening the situation,” Putin said today in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. “They directly harm the global business climate and reduce trust in international trade and the financial system.”
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-11/u-s-joining-eu-on-russian-curbs-sets-stage-for-reprisal.html
