Western sanctions against Russia, according to the State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin, violate the principles of the WTO.
"The anti-Russian unilateral sanctions introduced by Western countries are nothing but a tool of outright economic and political blackmail, and have nothing to do with the law and violate the principles of civilized, open and fair competition, the principles of the WTO, as well as long international economic relations," he was quoted by RIA Novosti as further saying.
The sanctions introduced by Russia in response, he said, are designed to protect the internal market and to ensure food security. Their effectiveness, as noted by Naryshkin, will largely depend on the pace and quality of import substitution.