Russia’s Lavrov scolds U.S., EU for imposing sanctions

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov slammed the United States and European Union on Tuesday for imposing sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis, saying they were the work of weak politicians in the West “attempting to blame others.” The European Union on Tuesday announced asset freezes and travel bans on 15 Russians and Ukrainians over Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, one day after the United States imposed sanctions on seven Russians and 17 companies linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We reject sanctions in any of our relationships, in particular those sanctions that were sponsored by the United States and the European Union, which defy all common sense, regarding the events in Ukraine,” Lavrov said during a visit to Cuba.