Russia’s ambassador to the UK hit out at planned sanctions on Moscow today, saying that they would be ‘illegal, unreasonable and counter productive’.
Russia’s ambassador to the UK hit out at planned sanctions on
Moscow today, saying that they would be ‘illegal, unreasonable
and counter productive’.
He said that sanctions would not serve the interests of he
countries concerned, including the US, and would "trigger a
long anticipated endgame of the present global crisis".
Speaking at a press conference in London on Friday, Alexander
Yakovenko told the media that imposing sanctions would send the
“wrong message to Kiev’s continued “punitive operation” in
Eastern Ukraine.
He said there was ‘no evidence that Russia supplied weapons to
separatists, adding that Ukraine and the West’s suggestions on
who was responsible for the crash of flight MH17 ‘don’t hold
water’.
"Needless to say that we will consider any further sanctions
against us, and the measure of political pressure is clear
evidence that our western partners cannot substantiate their
allegations and are eager to engage in covering up the true
causes of the MH17 crash" he added.
He criticised the initial narrative purported by the West
surrounding MH17 as ‘inconsistent’ and ‘not compelling’, claiming
that the proofs being used by Kiev and Washington are "based
on social media reports", much of which had been disproved.
He added that while American intelligence had satellite images of
the missile launch, it could only say that the rockets were fired
from Eastern Ukraine "under conditions created by
Russia".
Reaffirming that Russia would not ‘prejudge’ the outcome of the
ongoing international inquiry into MH17, Yakovenko said that
there were ‘too many questions’ surrounding the events of the
tragedy, including the actions of Ukranian air traffic control
and the said movement of Ukranian war planes in the area of the
crash.
He encouraged the international community to secure the area of
the crash under the UN auspices, so that experts could conduct
their work, hoping that it could help in reaching a political
settlement in Ukraine, and "overcoming the artificially
created tension between Russia and the West".
Commenting on Ukraine's relationship with the European Union,
Ambassador Yakovenko said both sides had a right to enter into a
trade agreement
Commenting on the public inquiry surrounding the death of
Alexander Litvinenko , announced by the UK government on Tuesday,
the Ambassador said the British authorities should provide the
evidence they possesses , and that Russia would not accept any
judgement made in a secret court.
Asked about the prospect of sanctions being imposed on Russian
businessmen in London, including businessman Roman Abromovich, he
said it was the 'wrong way of doing things' but it was up to the
British government to decide whether it wanted to impose such
measures on Russians living in the UK.