Updated 2:05 p.m. Moscow Time
MOSCOW, September 10 (RIA Novosti) – The possibility of Kiev sanctions against Russia will not affect Moscow’s stance on the crisis in Ukraine, Russian president’s aide Yuri Ushakov said Wednesday.
“These sanctions will have no impact on our principle approach to the crisis in this neighboring state,” Ushakov said, commenting on the law allowing the Kiev government to impose sanctions on Russia.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed into law a bill that enables Kiev to introduce sanctions against foreign countries, including Russia. The law authorizes introduction of more than 20 restrictive measures, including a ban on transit of energy resources.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said a month ago that Kiev government prepared a list of 172 individuals and 65 legal entities from Russia and other states that could become subject to the sanctions.
The United States, the European Union and some other countries have already imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia accusing Moscow of supporting eastern Ukraine independence supporters. Russia has repeatedly denied it was never involved into the conflict.
In August, Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced counter-measures against some countries that imposed sanctions on Russia. The measures banned for one year imports of agricultural and food products from Australia, Canada, the United States, the European Union and Norway.
