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

MOSCOW - Russia reacted angrily on Saturday to additional sanctions imposed by the European Union over Moscow's role in the Ukraine crisis, saying they would hamper cooperation on security issues and undermine the fight against terrorism and organized crime.

Russia's Foreign Ministry also accused the United States, which has already imposed its own sanctions against Moscow, of contributing to the conflict in Ukraine through its support for the pro-Western government in Kiev.

The 28-nation EU reached an outline agreement on Friday to impose the first economic sanctions on Russia over its behavior in Ukraine but scaled back their scope to exclude technology for the crucial gas sector.
The EU also imposed travel bans and asset freezes on the chiefs of Russia's FSB security service and foreign intelligence service and a number of other top Russian officials, saying they had helped shape Russian government policy that threatened Ukraine's sovereignty and national integrity.
"The additional sanction list is direct evidence that the EU countries have set a course for fully scaling down cooperation with Russia over the issues of international and regional security," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"(This) includes the fight against the proliferation of weapon of mass destruction, terrorism, organized crime and other new challenges and dangers."
The EU had already imposed asset freezes and travel bans on dozens of senior Russian officials over Russia's annexation in March of Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea and its support for separatists battling Kiev's forces in eastern Ukraine.......................http://www.todayonline.com/world/russia-criticizes-eu-sanctions-raps-us-over-ukraine-role?singlepage=true
26/7/14
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Related:

• Arms export ban to Russia "sensible" (Austrian president)

• Readout of the Vice President's Call with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (The White House)

• No unity in EU over sanctions, some states protest (Poland PM, Donald Tusk)

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

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• Russia says Washington disseminating "unfounded" accusation over Ukraine (to influence international opinion)

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