17 Jul 2014 14:07

EU sanctions against Russia may damage EU members themselves - Russian Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW. July 17 (Interfax) - The European Union's sanctions against Russia may cause damage not only to Russia but to EU countries as well, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"Such unilateral steps are fraught with problems not only for Russia but for the EU member-states themselves, many of which are experiencing serious economic problems," the ministry said in a statement posted on its website on Thursday.

"The use of economic tools as a political weapon is not our choice," it said.

"We are still open to equitable and de-ideologized dialogue with the European Union countries. We hope that the European Union will acquire its own voice in international affairs, which would meet the interests of all states on our continent," it said.