Russian officials rail at EU sanctions decision, urging impartial stance on Ukraine crisis

A decision by the European Union ( EU) on sanctions against Moscow provoked widespread criticism from Russian officials who have urged the bloc to take an unbiased position on the current situation in Ukraine.

The EU decided at a summit on Thursday to link lifting economic sanctions against Russia with the fulfillment of the new Minsk accord reached last month, a move that was considered unfair by Russian politicians.

"It is regretful that the EU did not mention the bill adopted by the Ukrainian parliament on the 'special status' (in Donbass regions), which has turned the Minsk agreements upside down," said Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov on Friday.

"It looks like Kiev has been abiding by the deal," but "it is absolutely obvious for any unbiased observer that the authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics have moved forward a lot further than Kiev in implementing their obligations," Chizhov was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier this week that the bill passed by Ukrainian lawmakers "grossly violated" the new Minsk agreements and he has called on France and Germany to take joint steps to urge Kiev to fulfill its commitments.

Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the Russian State Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee, also aired his grievance about the decision.

"Why should Russia bear responsibility for the violation of the Minsk deal by Kiev ... Brussels is deliberately ignoring the fact when it made the decision," Pushkov said. "It is counterproductive and will hurt relations between Russian and the EU."

Slamming the EU decision as "destructive," Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the Russian Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee, said the decision has created chances of provocations for all parties concerned in the Ukraine crisis as "whoever violates the deal, Russia will be the only one to be blamed."

Valentina Matviyenko, chairwoman of the Russian Federation Council, said the decision will not only harm security and stability in Europe, but cause the biggest damage to Ukraine now confronted with great economic challenges due to the prolonged war.

In response to the EU decision, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia will decide on the extension of its countermeasures based on its national interests.

Russia's relations with the EU have been stranded following the sanctions imposed on Moscow after Russia's annexation of Crimea in March last year and alleged involvement in the Ukraine crisis.

The economic sanctions were due to expire in July unless the EU members agree to prolong it. As EU members had diversified views on the sanctions against Russia, ahead of the EU summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande brokered the plan of linking the sanctions to the implementation of Minsk agreement. Endite