KALININGRAD, June 27. /TASS/. Russia is not initiating a discussion on lifting Western sanctions but considers their entrenchment in the global system unacceptable, Russian Foreign Ministry’s Ambassador-at-Large Alexander Trofimov said in an interview with TASS.

"As for Russia, we are not initiating a discussion on how to lift anti-Russian sanctions. We were not the ones who imposed them, so it is not for us to ask how or when they will be lifted. However, <...> one should not get used to unilateral coercive measures. Such practices should not be part of international life or international interaction, and all responsible members of the global community understand this," he said on the sidelines of an expert dialogue of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

The practice of unilateral coercive measures violates the UN Charter, which is why Russia, together with like-minded nations from the global majority, raises this issue in multilateral forums, the diplomat noted. "The issue is that this practice must be eliminated from international relations. We address this matter at the UN, including within the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter, as well as in BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, while also promoting relevant UN General Assembly resolutions," he added.

"We will continue these efforts because they instill in the international community the understanding that such a practice is unacceptable. This is very important political work," Trofimov concluded.