Russia: Western sanctions are illegal

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday night reacted to EU sanctions over tensions with Ukraine and condemned it, according to Fars News Agency’s International Service.

According to the Tass news agency, the Russian diplomatic apparatus declared that the new Western sanctions are illegal.

EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said Tuesday evening that the bloc had unanimously agreed to a new package of sanctions against Russia. Speaking after an extraordinary meeting of EU foreign ministers, he claimed that the sanctions would do great harm to Russia.

“The sanctions target 27 individuals and entities involved in violating Ukraine’s sovereignty,” Borrell said. “These sanctions target Russia’s ability to access financial markets.”

“Russian forces are currently on Ukrainian territory, which means the cancellation of the Minsk agreements,” he said. “We have received a request from Ukraine to support the country against cyber attacks and we will send a team to support Kiev.”

The German chancellor also said that if necessary, the European Union and Germany could increase sanctions against Russia.

In another diplomatic incident involving Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced the expulsion of its diplomats from Kiev. The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced that it will withdraw its staff from the Russian embassy in Kiev as soon as possible.

“Russia does not rule out the possibility of its diplomats leaving Ukraine to protect them from possible provocations by Kiev and third countries,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rodenko told the Tass news agency.

“Recently, the United States and a number of Western countries have announced the evacuation of their embassy staff from Kiev,” he said. This is obviously because our Western counterparts seem to know something we do not know or are preparing for something. “Given this situation, we also reserve the right to take the necessary measures to ensure the security of our diplomats in Ukraine.”

Ukraine’s foreign ministry on Tuesday fired its ambassador to Russia over Russia’s recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk independence, and Germany summoned Russia’s ambassador to Berlin.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has announced that Ukraine’s ambassador to Russia, Vasily Pokotilo, has been summoned to Kiev following an illegal decision by the Russian leadership to recognize the independence of the organizations it has created.

The Russian president on Monday recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics and ordered Russian troops to be deployed in the area to defend them against possible military action by Ukrainian forces.

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