Washington - The United States is not currently planning to introduce new restrictive measures against Russia, as it wants to work closely with its European allies, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland has said.
She said at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on Wednesday, July 9 that a priority for the United States was currently the desire to work closely with the Europeans to move further, because, in her opinion, in this way the sanctions will be tougher.
Nuland said this when asked by Republican Senator Bob Corker what makes the U.S. administration postpone this decision again and again.
She said that the United States and the EU were currently discussing when they need to move forward together to introduce new sanctions against Russia. She noted that the next EU summit at which restrictive measures against Russia could be introduced would be held on July 16.
According to Nuland, if Russia does not stop again arming separatists and providing financial assistance to them, the U.S. will enlist the support of the EU to introduce the next stage of sanctions against Moscow.
“It may not be completely parallel to everything we want to do, but this is a process that is moving forward. Everybody wants to get back to a place where there are civilized relations between Russia and Ukraine so we have to make it cost,” she added.
