Russia warns US that sanctions threaten bi-lateral
relations
(Vatican Radio) Russia's Foreign Ministry has condemned new
U.S. sanctions against Russians involved in the Ukraine conflict saying the
move puts at "serious risk" the entire bilateral relationship amid
mounting tensions between Washington and Moscow.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his American
counterpart Rex Tillerson on Thursday that new sanctions imposed by Washington
on Russia would damage relations between the two nations, Moscow said.
Sanctions target mainly Russian people and companies linked
to the conflict in Ukraine, where Russia anneced the Crimean peninsula and
allegedly supports pro-Russian seperatists in the east of the country.
The Russian Foreign Ministry quoted Lavrov as saying in the
phone call that "Actions of this kind, put the entire sphere of
Russian-American relations at serious risk."
Before the phone call, Lavrov already complained about what
he called America's Russophobic obsession.
BLAMING RUSSIA
Lavrov told reporters that he "regrets the
'Russophobic' obsession" of "our American colleagues". He
said that "It already crosses all lines."
He claimed that while Ukrainian President "Petro
Poroshenko cannot fulfill his obligations under the Minsk peace agreements -
sanctions against Russia continue."
Lavov added that "in the very complex processes taking
place in Syria - only Russia is blamed and, of course, the Assad regime."
Lavrov said, "there are also many examples of when American congressmen do
not like some development or events in a region, they immediately attempt to
blame Russia."
In another blow to Moscow, European Union leaders also voted
Thursday to prolong the bloc's economic sanctions on Russia by another six
months after discussing the increasingly troubled peace plan aimed at ending
the fighting in eastern Ukraine.
More than 10,000 people have died in the conflict.
MILITARY TENSIONS
Amid the East-West standoff, military tensions are rising.
In one of the latest incidents this week a fighter jet of
the NATO military allience confronted a plane carrying Russia’s defense minister
in neutral airspace over the Baltic Sea.
Russian media reported that is was being chased away by a
Russian warplane. NATO confirmed the face-off, but denied it was chased away.
The alliance also rejected allegations that it was not acting aggressively and
said it didn't know that the defense minister was on board.
Dozens of similar incidents have been reported in the past
few years.
Both NATO and Russia have blamed each other for aggressive
intercepts in this strategically important area.
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