Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov says Russia is not going to discuss with the European Union any criteria for rescinding the sanctions. The minister made such statement at a briefing after his meeting with Sebastian Kurz, Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs.
“I have discussed no hopes or requests about it with my counterpart,” Lavrov said. “Some of our colleagues tried to involve us into discussion of the criteria for rescinding the sanctions, but we will not be doing it, indeed. The sanctions are not our decision.”
According to Lavrov, it is necessary to work on the basis of the reality not hopes and rely on the self-sustainment in the sectors that have tangibly depended on Russia’s partners until now.
Moscow, the minister said, just hopes that in summer when the sanctions targeting Russia will expire, the EU countries will start operating in conformity with their national interests.
