Russia slams ‘hypocrisy’ of new Western sanctions

| | Moscow
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Russia slams ‘hypocrisy’ of new Western sanctions

Sunday, 17 March 2019 | AFP | Moscow

Russia on Saturday slammed the “hypocrisy”  of new Western sanctions against its officials over their role in  a naval confrontation with Ukraine last year, and vowed to respond  to the “unfriendly” move.

The United States, Canada and the European Union Friday slapped  new sanctions on more than a dozen Russian officials and businesses  in response to Moscow’s “continued aggression in Ukraine.”

“The pretext for including our countrymen in the illegitimate sanctions  list of the EU astounds with hypocrisy and cynicism,” the Russian  foreign ministry said.

In a previous statement late on Friday, it said Russia “will not  leave the unfriendly act of the EU without a response” and accused  Brussels of siding with Kiev on the eve of its presidential election  due on March 31.

“It cannot be ignored that the decision came not long before the  presidential election in Ukraine,” it said.

It also accused Washington and Ottawa of “Russophobia” and said  the sanctions will “not lead to the results the US and Canada want”.

A US Treasury statement Friday said six Russian officials, six defence  firms and two energy and construction firms had been targeted, either  over the seizure of Ukrainian vessels in the Kerch Straight last  November, or for their activities in Russian-annexed Crimea or separatist  eastern Ukraine.

The US sanctions freeze all property and interests in property belonging  to the designated individuals and entities, and prohibit US persons  from transacting with them.

Four of the individuals are border guard or coast guard officials,  singled out for their role in a November 25, 2018 naval confrontation,  in which Russian ships fired on and seized three Ukrainian vessels  in the narrow Kerch Strait the two countries share.

The four were targeted jointly with the EU and Canada according  to the State Department.

Twenty-four Ukrainian crew members were detained in the naval incident.

In the statement on Saturday, Russia said its border guards were  “bravely fulfilling their duty to defend the state borders of our  country” and that the confrontation was the result of a “provocation”  by the Ukrainian side.

It said Moscow was acting “within the norms of international law”  in arresting the Ukrainians.

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