MOSCOW. June 28 (Interfax) - Russia will give an appropriate response to the latest EU sanctions and will continue, despite all the obstacles, its efforts to supply much needed goods to international markets, including energy resources, fertilizers and foodstuffs, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"Despite the obstacles being put up by the European Union, the Russian Federation will continue efforts to provide much needed commodities, including energy resources, fertilizers and foodstuffs, to the global markets. [...] Another series of illegitimate EU sanctions will not go without an appropriate answer from us," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in reply to a question from the media.
"It is obvious that the EU actions being taken formally against Russia are equally affecting third countries, destabilizing global commodity markets and undermining the developing countries' energy security," Zakharova said.
A global majority, including Russia's BRICS partners, has taken the clear stance that any unilateral sanctions not approved by the UN Security Council violate international law and are illegitimate, she said.
"Under the pretext of struggle against bypassing the sanctions, Brussels literally terrorizes our partners with 'secondary' restrictions. The EU has inexplicably claimed the right to decide on limits to what is permitted for third countries in their cooperation with Russia," she said.
"It is absolutely beyond doubt that amidst the European Parliament election results that are absolutely devastating for the ruling EU elite, the EU's main goal in passing the 14th sanction package was to use anti-Russian sanctions as the likely last opportunity to demonstrate illusionary unity among unpopular politicians with whom their voters are sick and tired now and who are vainly trying to add to their significance by pursuing the anti-Russian policy," she said.
"But it will hardly change anything in the context of domestic political processes going in a number of EU countries," Zakharova said.
As reported earlier, on Monday, EU authorities envisaged restrictions targeting 116 individuals and legal entities in the 14th package of anti-Russian sanctions.
The EU also stipulated in the 14th package of sanctions for additional instruments to prevent their circumvention, including, in particular, a rule banning any subsidiaries in third countries from participating in any activities regarded as circumvention.
The 14th package includes Sovcomflot and its CEO Igor Tonkovidov.
He European Union has also introduced sanctions against 27 vessels, which are prohibited from calling at ports and using services. The EU believes that these vessels could be used to carry military hardware, grain or used in support of the development of the Russian energy sector by way of transporting and handling LNG. The sanctions list also features tankers allegedly transporting oil in circumvention of the so-called oil price cap and EU restrictions.
The EU has also banned the reloading of Russian-produced LNG at ports of EU member states for shipments to any third countries.
Political parties and foundations, and non-government organizations, including think tanks and media service providers in the EU, will no longer be allowed to accept any funding from the Russian state or its agents.