International sanctions during the Ukrainian crisis

The decline in Bulgaria's exports to Russia in the last four years is due to the problems of the Russian economy and not becuase the EU sanctions against Russia. This is stated in a report of the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) on Bulgarian exports to the Russian Federation. 

Czech President Milos Zeman has called for an end to the EU sanctions imposed against Russia because of the crisis in Ukraine and the measures taken by Moscow to retaliate. The Pro-russian veteran made remarks after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Relations between Russia and the US may be at a lower level than they were during the Cold War. This was stated by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, quoted by TASS.

New U.S. sanctions against Russia could jeopardize Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream projects’s finish, Russian energy giant Gazprom warned Tuesday.

In its third quarter report, Gazprom said the sanctions will have a negative impact on the company’s foreign investments and put the gas line projects at risk.

New research by the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) suggests the EU's economic sanctions against Russia introduced three years ago have cost European countries billions of euro.

EU sanctions against Russia should be lifted, Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev said at a joint press conference with Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda in Warsaw, where he is on an official visit, quoted by TASS.

"In the economic sense, these sanctions are harmful. If we talk about the Bulgarian business, we look at it negatively, "Radev said.

The German Free Democratic Party, which after four years of absence returns to parliament after gaining 10.7 per cent of the vote in yesterday's elections, reiterated its position that the fact of annexing the Crimea to Russia should be accepted in order to improve relations with Moscow , DPA reported.

The European Union plans to extend the sanctions against Russia imposed in connection with the occupation of the Crimea and the intervention in the Donbass for another 6 months.

This was announced by the European Commission, quoted by the France Press Agency. The decision is expected to be formally taken on September 14 at the meeting of the EU Home Affairs Council.

The United States demanded that Russia shut down its Consulate General in San Francisco and two other diplomatic entities in New York City and Washington, DC by September 2, the US Department of State said in a press release on Thursday.

A Moscow deadline for almost two-thirds of U.S. diplomatic staff to leave Russia expires on Sept. 1, an exodus that starkly demonstrates the souring relationship between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

There were hopes of improved ties between Moscow and Washington after Trump's election to the U.S. presidency last year, when both leaders showered each other in praise.