International sanctions during the Ukrainian crisis

A senior U.S. Republican senator on June 30 said sanctions would be "required under law" if Turkey "activates" the S-400 air defense systems bought from Russia, adding that he wanted to avoid a potential conflict with a NATO ally.

Iran called U.S. sanctions "economic war" on June 3, and said there could be no talks with the United States until sanctions are lifted, a day after Washington suggested it could hold talks without pre-conditions if Iran changed its behaviour.

81% of adult Bulgarians put national interests first and Bulgaria falls into the top ten countries in nationalist sentiment. This is the result of an international survey by Gallup International, conducted in 58 countries around the world.
 

Russian lawmakers on March 19 backed the international use of a Russian alternative system for the global financial messaging network SWIFT designed by Moscow to eliminate the risk of Western sanctions.

The United States, together with the European Union and Canada on March 15 slapped new sanctions on more than a dozen Russian officials and businesses in response to the country's "continued aggression in Ukraine."

Over the past few years Cyprus has embarked on a campaign to convince international partners that financial rules and regulations on the island have aligned with European best practices.

Russia has arrested an American citizen on suspicion of spying in Moscow, its domestic security service (FSB) has said, quoted by Aljazeera. 

The FSB, which took the American into custody on December 28, said in a statement on Monday that a criminal case has been opened against the suspect.

Russia must release the Ukrainian sailors who were the detained at the Kerch Strait, Bulgaria's Premier Boyko Borissov said within the frameworks of the European Council in Brussels, reported the Bulgarian National Radio. 

This act will help a lot to resolve the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, Premier Borissov said and called on the two countries to sit at the negotiation table. 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the West was imposing sanctions on Russia to stand up for international law and added that she would address the Sea of Azov issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin at an upcoming G20 summit, reported Reuters. 

Iran executed two men accused of economic crimes on Nov. 14, part of an effort to stem financial misconduct as the country faces an economic crisis and new U.S. sanctions targeting its oil sector.