Russian Ambassador to Vienna says Western sanctions make no practical sense

Western sanctions against the Russian Federation have no practical sense. This was stated by Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, on 30 January.

He noted that Western countries have been imposing sanctions against Russia for centuries.

"Western sanctions against Russia were first introduced around 1240. They continued for centuries without any practical sense," Ulyanov wrote in his Telegram channel.

The diplomat also called for an end to these "childish games." According to him, otherwise the EU will soon face the consequences.

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Earlier, on January 28, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the conflict in Ukraine and anti-Russian sanctions during a telephone conversation with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas. Rubio also welcomed the extension of EU sanctions against Russia during the conversation.

On this day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there is no innovation in the EU's extension of anti-Russian sanctions for six months. He also called the sanctions against Russia illegal.

Before that, on January 27, the head of EU diplomacy Kaja Kallas officially confirmed the extension of anti-Russian sanctions for six months. In turn, Hungarian Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Minister Peter Szijjarto said that Budapest had received from the European Commission the required guarantees of energy security, without which it refused to extend sanctions against Russia.

Rubio said on January 15 that the United States allowed the possible lifting of sanctions against Russia to end the conflict in Ukraine. According to him, sanctions could be used ostensibly as leverage during negotiations. Thus, Rubio called the existence of sanctions against Russia a bargaining chip in negotiations with Ukraine.

Western countries increased sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation after the start of the special operation to protect civilians in Donbass, which was announced on February 24, 2022