Russian President Vladimir Putin, Franch President Francois Hollande, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (front L-R) attend a meeting aimed at halting a war in Ukraine at the presidential residence in the Ukranian capital of Minsk on February 11, 2015. (AFP PHOTO)
MOSCOW, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Russia is not interested in keeping reciprocal sanctions with Ukraine indefinitely, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Thursday.
"We do not want any sanctions confrontations, but it was not us who started this sanction story," Medvedev said in an interview with Russian television channels.
"But if their restrictions remain, we will naturally keep our limitations," he added.
Medvedev said Russia imposed sanctions not against the Ukrainian people or the Ukrainian economy, but against "those who have compromised themselves and those who harm our country."
Ukraine has imposed a series of economic sanctions on Russian banks, enterprises and individuals. Its relations with Russia deteriorated since Crimea crisis.
Medvedev signed on Nov. 1 a decree imposing sanctions on 68 Ukrainian enterprises and 322 individuals.
According to Medvedev, even after the introduction of the counter sanctions, Russia remains the biggest trading partner of Ukraine, accounting for 15 percent of its total exports and nine percent of imports.
Ukraine accounts for around 2.3 percent of Russia's total trade turnover, Medvedev said.
