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MILAN, September 13 (RIA Novosti) The European Union and the United States are harming their own business by imposing sanctions against Russia, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Saturday.

"The sanctions are having a negative impact on all sides. This concerns any restrictions in trade, financing, investment these are the worst decisions of the governments that go against their own business," Siluanov said.

"Of course, when we talk about economic growth, when we talk about removing all trade barriers, speak against protectionism , when we talk about the goal of increasing economic growth by 2 percent (set by the G20 in February in Sydney) - it cannot be achieved under trade, financial and other restrictions," the minister added.

On Friday, the US Treasury Department confirmed that it was expanding sanctions against Russian companies and increasing the number of sanctioned Russian entities in the financial, energy and defense sectors. Under the new restrictions, Russia's largest bank, Sberbank, was added to the list of sanctioned financial institutions.

Also on Friday, a new round of sanctions against Russia, approved by the European Union Monday, came into force. The EU restrictions prohibit three major Russian oil companies (Rosneft, Transneft, Gazprom Neft) and three major defense companies (Oboronprom, United Aircraft Corporation and Uralvagonzavod) from seeking financing on European capital markets.

Moscow warned that it could respond to new Western sanctions to protect Russia's interests.

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EU, US Harm Own Business by Imposing Sanctions Against Russia: Russian Finance Minister

MOSCOW, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- The date of the next round of trilateral gas talks between Russia, Ukraine and the European Union will be announced this week, the Kremlin said.

Trilateral negotiators are reviewing a package proposed in September meant to address Ukraine's mounting debt for gas while ensuring European consumers have adequate winter supplies.

"On Oct. 7, we will agree on the date of the next trilateral meeting," Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Sunday.

Ukraine under the terms of the proposal would pay off its $3.1 billion in debt to Russian energy company Gazprom, which in turn would offer a discounted price to its Ukrainian counterpart, Naftogaz.

Gazprom would continue with a protocol calling on Ukraine to pay in advance for its natural gas.

Russia meets about 20 percent of European natural gas demand, though 80 percent of the volume sent to Europe runs through the Soviet-era transit network in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Prime Miniser Arseniy Yatsenyuk said during meetings last week with European officials his government "deeply concerned about the erosion of European energy security," but said Russia had its share of the blame.

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Kremlin reviewing date for gas talks

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Russia-EU Gas War Heating Up: Slovakia complains of 50% drop in Gazprom deliveries over Ukraine
A serious gas war between Russia and the European Union looms. For the second day in a row Slovakia says its natural gas supplies from Russia are down 50% while Russian state gas producer...

By: UKRAINE TODAY

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Russia-EU Gas War Heating Up: Slovakia complains of 50% drop in Gazprom deliveries over Ukraine - Video

Italy was the worst country in the European Union when it came to applying mandatory European Union laws, the European Commission said this week, further solidifying the countrys reputation as a country of rule breakers and one of Europes less reliable partners, according to analysts.

According to the Oct. 1 report from the Commission, there were 472 complaints against Italy for failing to apply European law more than any other EU country, ahead of Spain (with 439 complaints) and Germany (with 297 complaints).

At the end of the year, a total of 104 cases were unresolved for Italy, again ahead of Spain (with 91 outstanding cases) and Greece (with 79). Latvia, the least problematic country in the EU, had just 20 outstanding cases at the end of last year.

It is not the first time Italy topped the European Commissions list of EU rule breakers. Commentators say the trend only reinforces the view of Italy as a country with a flexible view of rules and laws.

Italys reputation is in part formed by the image as a population that doesnt pay taxes, doesnt obey traffic laws, and so on, Antonio Biondi, an Italy-born pop culture commentator working in London, told Xinhua. Something like this shows that kind of behavior goes to the highest levels of government.

Why do Italians disregard so many rules? asked Roger Abravabel, an author and social commentator. They do it because they can. There are few consequences for disregarding many rules.

Abravabel authored a book called Regole, Italian for Rules, which explores the topic of the rule of law in Italy. In the book, he wrote that much of the problem comes from a slow and inefficient criminal justice system, which results in a disconnection between the act and any sanctions.

The laws are ineffective and so the response in Italy is to make more laws, Abravabel said in an interview. The result is a big mess nobody can figure out.

There are other factors linked with with the trend involving European Commission complaints against Italy. Some in the Italian media blamed government instability and inefficiency for the problems.

According to Monica Rubini, a University of Bologna expert in social psychology, another factor may be an anti-European sentiment in Italy.

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Italy tops list of EU rule breakers