Russia vows to reciprocate EU sanction extension

Moscow, June 22 (IANS/EFE) Moscow considered the European Union's decision to extend sanctions against Russia over its role in the Ukrainian crisis "unfounded and illegal", and will respond in kind, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

"Russia, naturally, considers these sanctions to be unfounded and illegal, and we have never been the instigators of sanction measures," Peskov told reporters.

Moscow will act accordingly, he added, referring to the extension of the measures banning imports of European perishables.

"We reiterate, the reciprocity principle is the basis of our approach in the exchange of sanctions," Peskov added.

The imposition of sanctions from Brussels on Russia "does not only prejudice the interests of economic activity participants in our country but also the interests of these countries, that is, interests of taxpayers of the European states", the spokesperson said.

European Union foreign ministers agreed on Monday to officially extend the economic sanctions imposed on Russia due to its role in the eastern Ukrainian conflict until January 31, 2016, contingent upon full implementation of the Minsk peace agreement.

The foreign ministers of the 28 EU countries approved the measure at Monday's meeting without discussion, as it had been agreed on previously on the ambassadorial level.

--IANS/EFE

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