Russia responds to US and EU sanctions and accusations

On Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry responded to the accusations from the White House spokesman, who said that Putin and the Russians were "guilty" of the crash of the Malaysian Boeing 777 in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the current events in Ukraine are an "internal conflict." However, "the Obama administration is partially responsible for its dire consequences."

Spokesman for the White House Josh Earnest said at a briefing: "There were heavy weapons moved from Russia to Ukraine... into the hands of separatist leaders, and that those separatists who are backed by the Russians were trained by the Russians to use those systems," he said. "What we also know is that the Malaysia Airlines jet was brought down by a missile that was fired from the ground... in an area that was controlled by separatists and in an area where the Ukrainians themselves were not actually operating anti-aircraft weapons at that time," Earnest also said.

"So that is why we have concluded that Vladimir Putin and the Russians are culpable to this tragedy," he said.

Russia's Foreign Ministry commented on this statement as follows: "Judging by the relentless slander campaign against Russia organized by the American administration, they are being more and more guided by blatant lies when pursuing their foreign policy," the ministry said.

"In line with its current practice, Washington cites no proof or any references to facts that could be considered and commented," it said, adding that the White House only mentions certain intelligence data but refuses to present it, and "information in social networks," ITAR-TASS reports.

The Foreign Ministry said that such an approach increasingly isolates the U.S. administration from an opportunity to to have an adequate perception of anything, but its own schemes and conclusions."

"We will survive sanctions, but it is unfortunate that the U.S. continues to push Kiev towards forced suppression of discontent of the Russian-speaking population."

Because of the EU sanctions, the EU-Russia cooperation in the field of security was endangered. The programs to combat terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are likely to be shelved, according to a press release from the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation about another expansion of the European sanctions list. The EU has really gotten hooked on Washington and Kiev's tales about the events taking place in Ukraine," the Foreign Ministry indicates. The Foreign Ministry also responded to U.S. allegations, calling them a part of the campaign of slander. According to Russian officials, the Obama administration is to a certain extent responsible for the "internal conflict" in Ukraine.

"The additional sanctions list is a direct indication of the fact that EU countries have embarked on the course to completely terminate interaction with Russia on international and regional security, including the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, organized crime and other new challenges and threats. We are convinced that such solutions will be enthusiastically received by international terrorist organizations. What they could not do during recent decades - to drive a wedge into the ranks of the world community - was easily done ​​in Brussels," the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation said.

"Having done Washington's bidding again about additional anti-Russian sanctions, the EU acted as a "non-commissioned officer's widow," having jeopardized international cooperation in the field of security."

On Saturday night, the EU exposed the names of 15 individuals and 18 legal entities that fell under the sanctions. They include FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, Director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service Mikhail Fradkov, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and the head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov. For the time being, the European "black list" bars the total of 87 citizens of Russia and Ukraine, including senior officials, politicians and the military, from entering the EU banned. Their assets on the territory of EU Member States shall be frozen.

The head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, who fell under the EU sanctions, announced his own sanctions list, in which he included U.S. President Barack Obama and the current leadership of the EU, whom he called "state terrorists" who shed "the blood of Muslims."

The following individuals are not allowed to enter the territory of the Chechen Republic, pursuant to Kadyrov's decision: U.S. President Barack Obama, European Commission President Jose Manoel Barroso, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, European Parliament President Martin Schulz.

"I have instructed to freeze their bank accounts and assets of any kind. From July 27, the listed policies are denied entry to the Chechen Republic," Kadyrov said.

In support of his decision, he wrote: "The whole world has witnessed the tragedy of the peoples of Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and lately, of Ukraine. Under the guise of export of democracy, civilians, women, the elderly, children are being killed in these countries, cities and religious shrines are being destroyed. The U.S. and the EU are directly responsible for everything that happens there. The actions of their leaders are state terrorism directed against countries and peoples. And  it is the blood of Muslims that is shed in most cases."

Pravda.Ru