The State Duma reacted to the approval of the 17th package of sanctions on the eve of the negotiations

The approval of a new sanctions package on the eve of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine suggests that the EU countries do not want the end of the Ukrainian conflict. Alexey Chepa, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, expressed this opinion on Wednesday, May 14.

"They organized this conflict, and they are doing everything to ensure that the conflict continues and goes, in their words, to the last Ukrainian," the parliamentarian said in an interview with Lenta.Ru .

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Earlier, on May 14, the AFP news agency reported that the ambassadors of the European Union (EU) countries had agreed on the 17th package of sanctions against Russia. Life.Ru .

The sanctions will apply to vessels that belong to the Russian "shadow fleet," as well as companies from China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Serbia, Vietnam and Uzbekistan that help circumvent restrictions on energy trade. 360.ru .

On May 13, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported that the EU countries would not be able to agree on tough measures in the new package of anti-Russian sanctions, as this could lead to a protest from some countries that are part of the association. It is clarified that controversial proposals were not included in the list of sanctions, as this could have caused a veto from Hungary or Slovakia.

The head of EU diplomacy, Kaya Kallas, at a press conference following the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Warsaw on May 8, said that the EC intends to adopt the 17th package of sanctions against Russia by May 20.