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Russia says Western sanctions may remain unchanged

Friday, 11 November 2016 6:14 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 11 November 2016 7:21 PM ]

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (Photo by AFP)

Russia has expressed pessimism about Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over the conflict in eastern Ukraine, despite Donald Trump’s winning the US presidential election.

"Our position is that sanctions will remain unchanged," Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in the city of Ariha (Jericho) in the occupied West Bank on Friday.

"Irrespective of the results of elections in any country, including in one as important as the United States of America, our assumptions remain unchanged," he said.

Trump is widely viewed as friendly to the Kremlin, leading some to speculate that sanctions on Russia could be eased.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 9 that Russia was ready to do its part to fully restore ties with Washington following the election of Trump.

A senior diplomat also said the Russian government was in touch with members of Trump's political team during the US election campaign.

The West imposed the sanctions in March 2014 over Moscow’s alleged involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine and the rejoining of the Crimea Peninsula to the Russian Federation. Moscow denies the accusations.

The Kremlin has in return enforced counter-sanctions embargoing food imports from the West.

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