German politician says new sanctions against Russia harm Germany

The introduction of new sanctions by the United States and the EU against Russia could turn into tensions in relations between the countries, comparable in terms of the level of the Cold War, Gunnar Lindemann, a member of the Berlin parliament, told RIA Novosti.

The European Union on Tuesday imposed sanctions for the first time under the new global regime for human rights violations against four Russian citizens for the arrest of opposition activist Alexei Navalny. The United States, following the EU, announced the introduction of sanctions against the Russian Federation. The list includes 14 organizations with the wording “for the production of biological and chemical weapons”. In addition, US sanctions target specific individuals and organizations, and will include export and visa restrictions.

“New sanctions against Russia are damaging our economy and thus harming Germany. Of course, there is a risk of a new Cold War. That is why we must end this senseless policy of sanctions. I am afraid that the EU will follow the example of increasing sanctions pressure on Russia. With the election of the US President Joe Biden, cooperation between the US and the EU has become closer”, – Lindemann said.

The politician noted that Washington is trying to put pressure on the EU in order to impede the implementation of the Nord Stream-2 project, since the United States is promoting its liquefied natural gas in the European Union.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier that Moscow would unequivocally respond to possible US sanctions against Russia. Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, noted that the new EU and US sanctions against Russia significantly harm the already deplorable relations. He noted that the Kremlin is confident that the policy of sanctions against Russia is not achieving its goal.

German politician says new sanctions against Russia harm Germany