Russia has imposed sanctions on nine other Ukrainian companies

Russia has imposed economic sanctions on nine other Ukrainian companies on the basis of a new decree issued by Moscow on February 12. Among the sanctioned companies facing "extraordinary economic measures" are the vessel manufacturer Craneship, the towing company Donmar, the truck operator Transship and the metal producer Maxima Metal. However, the decree does not say why these companies are subject to Russian sanctions. So far, a total of 84 Ukrainian companies have been placed on the Russian sanctions list. Kiev did not react immediately to the latest move, the Free Europe station (RFE / RL) informed on Saturday. Relations between Ukraine and Russia crumbled after Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and began supporting pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. The conflict has claimed more than 13,000 lives. Russia denies accusations by Kiev that its troops are involved in the fighting. The West has imposed a number of sanctions on Russia since the annexation, but Moscow responded with its own measures. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Moscow is ready to sever relations with the European Union if the bloc hits the Russian Federation with harsh economic sanctions in connection with the imprisonment of opposition politician Alexei Navalny. "We do not want to be isolated from the international community, but we must be prepared for it," Lavrov said in response to a question about a possible rift in relations between Moscow and Brussels. "If you want peace, you have to prepare for war," he said. The European Union will discuss the possibility of new sanctions against Russia and possible further measures at a meeting of foreign ministers on 22 February and at the March summit of EU heads of state and government.