Russia blasts new EU sanctions package as ‘unlawful and illegal’

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia on Wednesday blasted a new package of European Union sanctions over the Ukraine war as against the law.

“These measures are unlawful and illegal,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters during a press briefing in the capital Moscow.

Saying that the sanctions package is aimed at both Russian and foreign economic operators and public figures, Zakharova said such moves by the EU continue to harm Moscow.

The new 15th package of sanctions “essentially poses an additional threat to global, not only ours and Europe's, but global energy security and the stability of world economic relations.”

“These measures will be analyzed from the point of view of damage to the economic interests of our country, and retaliatory steps to the illegitimate anti-Russian actions of the EU will not be long in coming,” she added.

On Monday, the EU adopted a 15th sanctions package against Russia, which the 27-member bloc said is designed to prevent the circumvention of EU sanctions by targeting Moscow’s “shadow fleet.”

The sanctions were imposed over Russia’s war on Ukraine, now well past the conflict’s 1,000th day.