Russian Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, on Thursday said Russia was not interested in keeping reciprocal sanctions with Ukraine indefinitely.
“We do not want any sanctions confrontations, but it was not us who started this sanction story.
“But, if their restrictions remain, we will naturally keep our limitations,’’ Medvedev said in an interview with Russian television channels.
He said that Russia imposed sanctions not against the Ukrainian people or the Ukrainian economy, but against “those who have compromised themselves and those who harm our country’’.
Ukraine has imposed a series of economic sanctions on Russian banks, enterprises and individuals.
However, its relations with Russia deteriorated since Crimea crisis.
Medvedev signed on Nov. 1 a decree imposing sanctions on 68 Ukrainian enterprises and 322 individuals.
According to Medvedev, even after the introduction of the counter-sanctions, Russia remains the biggest trading partner of Ukraine, accounting for 15 per cent of its total exports and nine per cent of imports.
“Ukraine accounts for around 2.3 per cent of Russia’s total trade turnover,’’ Medvedev said. (Xinhua/NAN)
