Written question asked by Douglas Alexander (Labour) on Thursday, 18 December 2014, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 5 January 2015. It was answered by Lord Hammond of Runnymede (Conservative) on Friday, 9 January 2015 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Russia

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of EU-wide sanctions on Russia's policy towards Ukraine.

Answer: Sanctions are an important element of the range of diplomatic measures we are undertaking to effect a change in Russia’s behaviour. EU sanctions are delivering a significant cost to Russia for its actions in Ukraine. The fall in the global oil price has driven an economic slump in Russia, including a shrinking economy and sharply declining currency. The wide-ranging restrictions of EU and US economic sanctions are exacerbating these negative trends. For Russia to remove the pressure of sanctions it will need to change its policy towards Ukraine.

Secondary information