The World Blog by humble servant.

Top EU leadership has been banned from entering Russia in response to the bloc’s “unfriendly actions,” which, as the Russian Foreign Ministry claims, are “driving the relationship with Russia into a deadlock.” In a lengthy statement, issued on Thursday, the ministry said that the EU sanctions policy, which has been introduced in response to Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine, “oversteps all limits.” The intention of the EU, the statement says, is clear: “To force Russia to renounce its vital interests.” “The EU’s actions are not only driving the relationship with Russia into a deadlock, but are similarly jeopardizing the wellbeing and security of its own citizens, as well as the stability of the global financial and economic system,” the ministry said. Therefore, Russia, on the basis of reciprocity, “is significantly expanding the list of representatives of EU Member States and institutions who will be denied entry to the Russian Federation.” Russophobia now mainstream – Polan...

A top US national security official has called on India to scale back its economic and military ties with Russia, warning of “consequences” for any nation that helps Moscow avoid a recent wave of Western sanctions. Speaking to reporters after meeting with Indian officials on Thursday, Washington’s deputy national security adviser for international economics Daleep Singh urged New Delhi not to boost Russian energy imports, and to avoid any moves that might “undermine” the US dollar. “What we would not like to see is a rapid acceleration of India’s imports from Russia as it relates to energy or any other any other exports that are currently being prohibited by the US,” he said, adding that the United States is “very keen for all countries, especially our allies and partners, not to create mechanisms that prop up the ruble and that attempt to undermine the dollar-based financial system.” While condemning Russia’s “needless war” on Ukraine, Singh said his visit to India was “in a spi...