Russia told Saturday it wouldn’t collaborate with a new round of EU sanctions against Syria and wouldn’t comply with inspections of ships flying the Russian flag.
“We don’t plan to take any part in measures executing EU decisions which were directed against Syria,” foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich was cited as telling in a statement.
“Among other matters we’ll not consider requests and give consent to the research of ships sailing under the Russian flag, nor to the apply of other confining measures,” stated the statement posted on the ministry’s website. Earlier this week the European Union strengthened sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and concorded to constrain an arms embargo by inspecting vessels and planes suspected of carrying arms.
Russia on Wednesday condemned the new round of European Union sanctions against Syria over the prolonged struggle with the opposition as amounting to an air and sea “blockade” of its Soviet-era ally.
Russia last month tried to deliver a controversial shipment of 3 attack helicopters and an air defense system to Syria in a cargo ship under a Curacao flag before being exposed by Washington.
The Alaed cargo vessel containing the helicopters was then drew to turn back when its British insurer finished pulling coverage. It came back to Russia and switched its flag for a Russian one.
A report by the Interfax news agency on Friday told that Russia planned to hold the shipment till security control was restored in Syria and had moved the helicopters into storage.
Russia debates that the Mi-25 helicopters already belonged to Syria and were only came back to Russia for upgrades under a 2008 contract contracted long before the fighting started.
