Nikolai Levichev, SD Vice-Chairman commented on extension by the European Union of the sanctions against Russia:

Extension of the sanctions against Russia by the European Union means that the EU countries extend the Russian programs of import substitution, support of small businesses, support of agrarians and the industrial upgrading and modernization programs. We should be just grateful to them for it.

The sanctions are sure to have hurt Russia’s economy. But they have affected it much smaller than it was expected. Last "year of the sanctions" showed that our citizens can’t be frightened by difficulties; that year also revealed that they who wanted to aggravate tension inside the country and split the Russian community failed and would never succeed in it.

As for Europe which was hurt by the sanctions as much as Russia, discontent will only increase. Very soon, representatives of business circles and ordinary EU citizens will start placing demands on their governments willing to know how long they will have "to dance to Washington’s pipe" to the detriment of their national interests.