Kremlin criticises 'illegal' extension of EU sanctions on Russia

Moscow considers the European Union’s extension of sanctions against Russia to be unfounded and illegal, but will respond to them in kind, Sputnik news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying Monday.

Earlier on Monday, the European Union decided to extend sanctions against Russia until January 31, 2016.

"Russia, naturally, considers these sanctions to be unfounded and illegal, and we have never been the instigators of sanction measures," Peskov told journalists.

Peskov said that Russia would respond by extending measures against the European Union, which include the foodstuffs' imports from Europe to Russia.

The Kremlin spokesman said that the restrictive measures "undermine the interests not only of those participants in economic activity in [Russia], but also the interests of taxpayers in European governments."