Russia is not asking anyone to lift the sanctions imposed against the backdrop of the situation in Ukraine, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters on Wednesday.

“We are not asking anyone to eliminate sanctions, and even more so, we are not asking anyone to introduce new ones,” TASS quotes Ushakov .

The assistant to the head of state also noted that the Kremlin will not comment on the statements of Federica Mogherini, who was elected to the east as the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. “I would suggest waiting until this lady begins to function in a new official capacity,” Ushakov said.

Mogherini will take up his post as EU foreign affairs chief in November. On October 6, in the European Parliament, she said that the EU could tighten sanctions against Russia if the situation worsens or lift them if there are positive changes in Ukraine. Mogherini also noted that the current sanctions are already negatively affecting the Russian economy, but are unlikely to change the policy of the Russian leadership.

In early October, the EU representative in Moscow, Vygaudas Ušackas, said in an interview with Bloomberg that the EU could impose additional sanctions if the “militias” in eastern Ukraine take control of new territories and if the terms of the Minsk ceasefire agreement are not met. The ambassador said the EU had not yet “reached the end of possible measures” but “wants the sanctions to be lifted.”

On Wednesday, the State Duma by a majority vote adopted in the first reading a bill on compensation for losses of Russians affected by Western sanctions. The bill provides for the payment of compensation from the budget to citizens whose foreign property was seized due to sanctions imposed by the West. Some bloggers and media associate the bill with billionaire Arkady Rotenberg , who came under US and EU sanctions. Due to sanctions, his assets in Italy were seized in September. Rotenberg himself said that he was not going to compensate for his losses from the Russian budget.

The Kremlin refused to ask for the lifting of sanctions