The Russian authorities want to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to ease the Western sanctions imposed over its aggression against Ukraine.

"The Russians are great masters of the many-moved game. Their actions may be unsophisticated and they often act in an old-fashioned manner, both in statements and in diplomatic steps. But they are masters of behind-the-scene, secretive diplomacy. One should not hope that Russia met with a rebuff last Thursday and stopped when Ukraine and its partners had blocked the Russian resolution on sanctions,” Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

According to Kyslytsya, the issue of sanctions has a very wide electorate at the UN, in particular at the General Assembly.

"Therefore, the Russian Federation, unfortunately, can earn some points among the countries which oppose the unilateral sanctions as such," he added.

Kyslytsya noted that when Moscow put the issue of sanctions to the vote of the UN General Assembly, “it is presented in such a beautiful package that is attractive to a large number of the General Assembly members.”

The Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN stressed that the Russian Federation would make new attempts to take advantage of the situation during the coronavirus pandemic in order to foster its propaganda.

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