New EU sanctions against Russia to cause more harm to EU

The European Union’s (EU) new package of anti-Russian sanctions, like the all previous ones, will inflict more damage on the EU itself, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, commenting on the recent EU summit.

"It goes as far as absurdity, when through some unscrupulous manipulations - when certain heads of state and government are not present at the table, - some legally questionable and obviously politicized decisions are made, which are as follows: on the start of pre-accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, which not only fail to meet the EU’s elementary criteria but directly run counter to them, as well as on another ‘package’ of unilateral restrictive measures against Russia, which, like all the previous ones, will cause bigger harm to the European Union itself," the diplomat said.

"This dictatorial behavior of Brussels reveals in all its magnitude that the member states are denied their democratic right to a dissenting opinion and the protection of their own interests," she added.

In addition, the diplomat pointed out that a heavy price for the EU’s confrontational "policy and the consequences of its opportunistic decisions regarding Ukraine and Moldova will have to be paid by the population of European countries."

Zakharova added that it looks quite natural that against this backdrop, "the most responsible politicians in European countries are more and more frequently prioritizing national interests over some mantras of ‘European solidarity,’ which are out of touch with real needs."

Moreover, the spokeswoman pointed out that under the pressure of the United States’ missteps, the European Union "continues to swiftly lose both political and economic weight around the world."

"The EU’s resources, so much needed for its domestic growth, are not funneled into resolving multiple problems and asserting its own place in the emerging multipolar world order, but into serving the US interests, including into the enrichment of the US military-industrial complex," she said.

EU talks with Ukraine and Moldova
After the first day of the EU summit held in Brussels on December 14-15, European Council President Charles Michel said that the EU members had decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, which may start in March 2024 or later. The summit also granted Georgia the candidate status and pledged to get back in March to considering the start of accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once the country achieved the "necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria.".