Prague may reject stricter sanctions in case of high economic losses

The Czech Republic has reserved the right to reject tightened EU sanctions against Russia if they were to cause disproportionately high economic losses, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said after Saturday’s EU talks in Brussels. At the talks the Czech prime minister urged a change of EU strategy towards Russia, saying that the first round of sanctions had failed to stop the violence in Ukraine and expressing doubts that additional sanctions would work. The EC is to present a proposal for new sanctions against Russia within a week. The Czech cabinet will study the proposal and we will say which parts we agree with and which we cannot support, Mr. Sobotka told the ctk news agency. He noted that other countries, such as Austria, Hungary and Slovakia have expressed similar reservations to new sanctions.