MOSCOW, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Russia vowed Saturday to take retaliatory measures against fresh U.S. and Canadian sanctions, calling the moves an evidence that the West lacks interest in settling the Ukraine crisis.
"The United States and Canada still cannot put up with the results of free declaration of will in Crimea and Sevastopol," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement.
"Our advice to Washington and Ottawa is to think about consequences from actions of the kind ... And we shall work on retaliatory measures," he added.
The diplomat cited recent U.S. decision to mend ties with Cuba after half a century of blockade as an example that "even the most inveterate fans of sanctions may have discernment, though this happens not immediately."
U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday signed an executive order, imposing a ban on new investment in Crimea and barring export or import of goods, technology or services with the Ukrainian region, which joined Russia after a referendum in March without recognition from Kiev and the West.
On the same day, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Ottawa will introduce restrictions on the export of technology in relation to Arctic, deep water and shale oil explorations and extraction to Russia.
The sanctions came a day after the European Union unleashed similar sanctions on Moscow in connection with Crimea's incorporation into Russia.
Washington and its allies have imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow over its alleged destabilizing role in the Ukraine crisis, seriously hitting Russia's stagnated economy.
MOSCOW, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Russian government should focus on supporting the innovation sector as a way to cut the country's independence on import and facilitate the solution to current economic woes, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Friday.
His remarks came at a time when the Russian economy hit the buffers following a plunge in the value of the ruble as well as the free fall in crude oil prices since June. Full story
BERLIN, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday warned against a further tightening of EU sanctions against Russia.
In an interview with German news magazine Der Spiegel, Steinmeier said he was concerned that Russia would be destabilized if Europe does not loosen the sanctions. Full story
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Although a new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia might not have a direct impact, they could increase Russia's sense of panic and ratchet up pressure on the country's embattled economy, experts said.
U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday signed into law a new round of sanctions against Russia, but for now, does not intend to use them, saying the administration is keeping an eye on the situation in Ukraine. Full story
