BRUSSLES, August 30 (RIA Novosti) - The European Commission has already prepared options of new sanctions against Russia in case the European Council decides to strengthen economic restrictions imposed on Moscow, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Saturday.
“Regarding restrictive measures, this is a decision for the member-states to take. What I can tell you now, on behalf of the European Commission, is that we have already prepared some options, so we have done our work. In case the members decide to go for further level of sanctions,” Barroso said at the joint press conference with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
“The governments of the European Union and the Council itself, they have stated before that if there is further escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, and further destabilization of Ukraine, there will be certainly some more measures. So I expect the member states of the European Union to be ready to take some more measures,” Barroso added.
Relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated following the situation in Ukraine. The West has repeatedly accused Russia of building up forces on its border with eastern Ukraine and supplying independence supporters with weapons, a claim Moscow has rejected.
In late July, the European Union and the United States proceeded from individual sanctions imposed on a number of people and companies to penalties on whole sectors of the Russian economy. In response, Russia limited food imports from countries that imposed sanctions on it, namely the US, the EU member states, Canada, Australia and Norway.
