MOSCOW (Sputnik) — In late June, the European Union extended the sanctions imposed against Russia. Moscow, in turn, prolonged the food embargo.
"We do not set such goals before us, to achieve the lifting of some restrictions, we did not introduce them, and it is not up to us to decide. This is up to the United States and our Western partners to decide," Putin told journalists.
He said Russia had always spoken for normal relations with partners.
"We always speak for normal relations, we have always said, and just recently at APEC… that any restrictions in the sphere of economic interaction harm everyone," Putin said.