tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1175681583743369857.post3401354290512779658..comments2024-03-29T07:40:26.626+02:00Comments on EL Etos UT News: Presidencia rusa: "Cambiaremos de socios si EE.UU. y la UE imponen sanciones"xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1175681583743369857.post-58308710124515813702014-03-19T13:09:39.174+02:002014-03-19T13:09:39.174+02:00EU leaders meet in Brussels to 'agree on a uni...EU leaders meet in Brussels to 'agree on a united European response' to Russia...<br /><br />European Union leaders will meet in Brussels to discuss the situation in Ukraine and to consider unpopular among many EU countries possible sanctions on Russia, although the summit was meant to focus on the bloc's gradual economic recovery, as well as its future energy and climate change policies.The 28 EU leaders due to "agree on a united European response" to the situation, EU President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso have said.<br /><br />The EU has already frozen some political negotiations with Moscow, and this week imposed asset freezes and travel bans on 13 Russian and eight Ukrainian individuals.<br /><br />However, Europe's capitals are not united on the issue. Some countries, especially those with close trade and business ties to Russia, are wary of acting too aggressively and closing the door on dialogue.<br /><br />"Sanctions are not about showing the other how much damage can be inflicted on the sanctioned party, but about demonstrating how much pain can be tolerated by the sanctioner," wrote Georg Zachmann of the Bruegel think-tank.<br /><br />According to Zachmann, stopping Russian gas imports - which amounted to 130 billion cubic metres last year, or one third of the EU's total gas imports - would send a "powerful signal," although it would come at a "high price" for the EU too. Russia is the EU's third largest trading partner, behind the United States and China.<br /><br />Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz warned Monday against "arbitrary" economic measures, while Bulgaria, which is highly dependent on Russian gas, opposes "hasty and hard" EU sanctions, ruling Socialist Party leader Sergey Stanishev told local media.<br /><br />Cyprus - a popular Russian banking destination - is among several countries that have raised "precautionary concerns," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said after talks Monday with his EU counterparts........Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_19/EU-leaders-meet-in-Brussels-to-agree-on-a-united-European-response-to-Russia-1797/<br />19/3/14<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1175681583743369857.post-36752529690399556642014-03-19T12:17:20.705+02:002014-03-19T12:17:20.705+02:00Russia can find other partners in case of EU, US e...Russia can find other partners in case of EU, US economic sanctions ....<br /><br />Russia has threatened to switch to other trade partners if the European Union and the United States impose economic sanctions against Moscow.<br /><br />This is according to President Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov. "If an economic partner in one part of the world decides to slap sanctions on us, we will shift our attention to other partners in other parts of the world," Mr. Peskov said Wednesday in an interview with BBC.<br /><br />"It's not a one-polar world, we will focus on other trade partners," he noted.<br /><br />The Kremlin spokesman calls any EU or US sanctions against Russia unacceptable, adding Moscow was open to further economic cooperation with the Union.<br /><br />Peskov stressed Russia wanted to stay on good terms with the EU and US, especially with the EU, he underscored, because the European Union is Russia's key economic, investment and trade partner. Our mutual economic interdependence means it's our duty to preserve good relations, he said.<br /><br />Putin's spokesman also told BBC that no discussion could be called global unless Russia could take part in it.<br />Read more: http://indian.ruvr.ru/news/2014_03_19/Russia-other-partners-EU-US/<br />19/3/14Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com