US influence on EU sanctions raises questions about independence of Brussels policy - Russian diplomat

MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. Washington’s influence on Brussels’ sanctions raises questions about independence of EU’s policy, Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov said on Monday at a State Duma hearing on Russian-EU relations. "EU’s sanctions policy is shaped, at the very least, not without US influence - US Vice-President Joseph Biden was already quoted - and by active efforts of a well-known group of EU member-countries, which try to impose their position on everyone else. This raises serious questions about European Union’s consistency as an independent player in the modern world and, respectively, as a reliable strategic partner," Chizhov said. EU EXTENDS "BLACKLIST" On Monday, February 16, the EU published an extended "blacklist" of sanctioned individuals and entities. The updated "blacklist" was published in the EU Official Journal and came into force from the moment of publication. The number of sanctioned individuals has thus reached 151 citizens of Russia and Ukraine. The number of sanctioned companies now stands at 37. Nineteen individuals and 9 entities were added to the EU "blacklist" on February 16. Among them are Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov, First Deputy Defense Minister Arkady Bakhin, singer Iosif Kobzon and State Duma deputy, head of the Moscow department of Russia’s Communist Party Valery Rashkin. Also on the list is head of the main operational department of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces General Lieutenant Andrey Kartapolov. Fourteen representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) leadership, along with leaders of the self-defense forces in east Ukraine, made it on the extended "blacklist" as well. All blacklisted individuals are banned from entering the EU, and their financial assets in European banks are frozen. However, the position of EU member-countries on anti-Russian sanctions vary. Italy, Greece, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and the Czech Republic call for easing the restrictive measures. On March 13, the White House press service said that US and Germany agree that violations of the Minsk agreements by the Donbass self-defense forces may entail "significant increased costs for Russia" after a meeting between US National Security Advisor Susan Rice and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Read more