The political connotations of the decisions of the Council of the European Union to impose sanctions against a number of citizens and subjects of Russia, China and North Korea is obvious, unilateral restrictions are not only harmful, but also illegal in the context of international law, said the Russian foreign Ministry.
The EU Council said on Thursday that the coordinated introduction of individual restrictive measures against citizens and organizations of Russia, China and North Korea for cyber attacks that threaten the EU and member States. Restrictive measures were introduced including attempted cyber attacks against the OPCW, as well as for cyber attacks using malware WannaCry, NotPetya and Operation Cloud Hopper said in a statement released by the Council. A week ago was launched written procedure for the approval of such measures.
The EU imposed sanctions against the structure of the General staff of the armed forces
It was reported that these restrictive measures include the freezing of assets and travel ban in the EU.
"We are puzzled and saddened by the decision of the EU Council from July 30 to impose unilateral restrictions on the number of citizens and subjects of Russia, and also China and the DPRK. And again this is done without any reason far under the pretext of involvement in cyber incidents in the past. The political connotations of this move is obvious", – stated on the official website of the Russian foreign Ministry in Facebook.
"We have repeatedly warned the EU about the dangers of the multiplication of unilateral sanctions. Moreover, they are absolutely illegal under international law", – said the Minister.
Moscow repeatedly offered the EU to develop a professional dialogue on the information or using existing channels and mechanisms in the UN and the OSCE, recalled in the Ministry.
"But instead has chosen Brussels sanctions Toolkit approved on paper a year ago. Cynically presented this course as promoting international security and stability in cyberspace" – said the foreign Ministry.
"we Can conclude that the EC prefers a policy of unilateral pressure and restrictions serious conversation leading to resolution of differences and building mutual trust. This approach leads to a new political confrontation and cyber chaos, not order, which is so fond of telling our EU partners, forgetting the Central role of the UN", – stressed in the foreign Ministry.
The Russian foreign Ministry said "obvious false logic of the EU: Russian citizens accused of involvement in a cyber incident 2018, that is what happened a year before the establishment of a mechanism for cyber-sanctions, which is now used EU".
"in Other words, they use it retroactively. Apparently, the lawyers, the EU has deliberately forgotten that the law is not retroactive," said the Minister.
In the Minister��ve called on the EU to "abandon futile attempts of exerting pressure, back to implementing basic norms of international and European law and develop effective rules for avoiding conflict in cyberspace, not with words but with deeds."
"Not to say that hostile actions will not go unanswered. In diplomacy, all mutually" – reminded the Russian foreign Ministry .
