Australia rules out new sanctions against Russia.(“We already have some sanctions on Russia")

CANBERRA — Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott said today (July 30) he is not considering ratcheting up sanctions against Russia while his government is focused on retrieving Australian victims from the wreckage of the Malaysian airliner disaster in Ukraine.
Mr Abbott has had several telephone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past two weeks and has credited Mr Putin with cooperating with international efforts to retrieve the remains of 298 people killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile, likely fired by pro-Russian rebels who then controlled the crash site.

Mr Abbott said he was not considering following the United States and European Union by increasing sanctions aimed at pressuring Mr Putin into ending his country’s support for separatists in east Ukraine.

“We already have some sanctions on Russia. I’m not saying that we might not at some point in the future move further. But at the moment, our focus is not on sanctions; our focus is on bringing home our dead as quickly as we humanly can,” Mr Abbott told reporters....................http://www.todayonline.com/world/australia/australia-rules-out-new-sanctions-against-russia
30/7/14
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Related:

• Australia Not to Impose New Sanctions Against Russia (PM Tony Abbott)

• EU governments agree deal on sanctions against Russia

• Russia criticizes EU sanctions, raps U.S. over Ukraine role. (The 28-nation EU reached an outline agreement on Friday)

• Putin warns of attempts to destabilize Russia (National Security Council meeting)

• US Loses Patience with Europe: Washington Wants Tough Russia Sanctions

• Australia to send 100 extra police, troops to Ukraine (some of whom will be armed). (PM Tony Abbott)

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