Austrian FM says 'necessary' to eliminate loopholes in previously adopted anti-Russian sanctions

Austria advocates "eliminating loopholes" in earlier adopted anti-Russian sanctions, but will not support restrictions on gas, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said on Thursday night in an interview with ORF TV channel, Report informs.

"We have already adopted six large-scale sanctions packages. Now we can think about eliminating loopholes, concretizing them. But Austria will be against further steps, in particular in the energy sector, with regard to gas. The sanctions packages already adopted are of a complex nature," said the diplomat.

According to the minister, the measures taken are effective. At the same time, Schallenberg urged "to be careful not to be drawn into the war." "Such tactics, such policies have proved their correctness, and we will continue to follow them," the diplomat added.

The EU countries will introduce new sanctions against Russia as soon as possible because of the planned "referenda" in the Donbas, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts.