Russia not begging EU to lift sanctions - ambassador
MOSCOW. Oct 20 (Interfax) - Russia will not be imploring the European Union to lift its sanctions, Russia's Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov told the Rossiya-24 television channel on Monday.
"I will stress: Russia will not ask anything from anyone. We will not implore the European Union or someone else to lift the sanctions," Chizhov said.
When asked to comment on the proposals by several EU countries to introduce more sanctions against Russia, the ambassador said: "Alas, there are enough of hotheads in Europe, too many even. Sometimes cold heads are in short supply. That is the problem."
"Unfortunately, we see no strategy for a way out of the sanctions," he said.
"As for the threats (to impose extra sanctions), I am still an optimist, and I think that, having elaborated a political sanctions resource, the EU has probably approached the point where it needs to think of moving in the opposite direction," the Russian ambassador said.
