Sergei Tsekov, member of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs from the Republic of Crimea, commented on Wednesday, December 15, a Bloomberg article that several large European Union (EU) countries are opposed to the imposition of sanctions against Russia due to the alleged escalation of the situation with Ukraine.
“This is a sane point of view of states that are realists in the politics of international relations,” the senator said in an interview with RT.
According to the parliamentarian, normal political and economic relations with Russia are a boon for Europe.
“This, in particular, allows maintaining stability on the European continent and allows the international society to coexist and move on in peace,” he said.
Earlier that day, Bloomberg reported, citing European diplomats and officials, that a number of EU countries oppose plans to impose new sanctions against Russia over Ukraine.
Thus, France, Italy, Spain and the FRG give preference to negotiations. The contradictions in the EU are also based on skepticism regarding information about the alleged plans of the Russian Federation to attack Ukraine, according to the TV channel “360”.
On December 13, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that the statements of the G7 countries (G7) about possible sanctions against Russia because of the allegedly impending invasion of Ukraine are the next threats. Peskov noted that when it comes to the need for de-escalation in Ukraine, Russia wants to see calls to Kiev to end provocative actions on the demarcation line in Donbass, but there are no such appeals.
The day before, it became known that the G7 countries intend to warn Russia that an invasion of Ukraine would have grave consequences and a serious cost for it. It was reported that finance ministers would consider potential sanctions against Russia in the event of an alleged attack.
On December 11, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries expressed their unity on the consequences for Russia. It was clarified that if Moscow decides not to follow the path of reducing diplomatic tensions, this will entail huge consequences and serious costs.
In turn, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that there was no Russian invasion of Ukraine and could not be, the United States and Western countries simply got hung up on this topic. He also stressed that what Russia is carrying out on its territory, the West does not concern.
Articles about the alleged possible Russian invasion have appeared in the Western media on several occasions. So, on November 19, The New York Times reported that the US administration had warned the allies about the alleged plans of the Russian Federation to attack the territory of Ukraine and called for new anti-Russian measures to be prepared.
On November 21, Peskov stressed that the West is artificially whipping up hysteria with its statements. According to him, provocations are not ruled out, and the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance should stop “pumping up Ukraine with modern weapons.”