Putin: Sanctions Harming Fight Against Terrorism

Local Editor

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the rift created by anti-Russian sanctions is affecting cooperation in the battle against terrorism, while Russia's foreign ministry said that recently introduced US sanctions "will not be left without reply."

"All these restrictions in the economic and political spheres drive apart states, and prevent us from joining forces in combating a common evil - terrorism," Putin said during a meeting with Russia's top legislators in Moscow on Wednesday.

"Unfortunately, the situation is not entirely in our hands. We hope that recent tragic events, including the attack in Germany, will prompt our partners to work more closely on this issue, which is important to all of us," continued Putin, referring to Monday's truck attack in Berlin that left 12 dead and dozens injured.

Joint anti-terrorism and drug-trafficking operations between Russia and NATO have been suspended since Crimea's secession from Ukraine in 2014.

Efforts to build an anti-Daesh [ISIS/ISIL] coalition in Syria also suffered a high-profile collapse this autumn, though Moscow has discussed reviving the drive with the incoming White House administration.

But relations with the US suffered a setback this week, when Washington announced a raft of new sanctions against individuals and state-connected companies, and two ships connected to Crimea on Tuesday.

The Treasury said their aim was to "maintain pressure on Russia by sustaining the costs of its occupation of Crimea and disrupting the activities of those who support the violence and instability in Ukraine."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team