Danko: Sanctions against Russia 'useless'

The sanctions of European Union countries against Russia are unnecessary and Russia itself benefits from them through the development of its domestic production, Slovak Parliamentary Speaker Andrej Danko said. Russia's trade balance with countries that are enforcing the sanctions is on the increase, he said when opening a Slovak-Russian business forum. According to Danko, since the introduction of the sanctions, the proportion of domestic food in the market has increased significantly in Russia, while the development in the aviation and automotive industries has accelerated. "The reality of life in the Russian Federation is that it has helped the Russian people to pull together," said Danko.