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Russia Could Ban Cars, Consumer Goods If West Brings Fresh Sanctions

Andrei Belousov, Russia's miniser of economic development.

Russia's response to Western sanctions may include caps on used car imports and other consumer goods, but Moscow hopes that commonsense will prevail in the West, a news report said Thursday.

European leaders agreed to push ahead with a package of sanctions against Russia by the end of the week in response to Moscow's policy on Ukraine.

"We have a number of non-agricultural products where our partners, primarily European, are more dependent on Russia than Russia on them," Kremlin economic aide Andrei Belousov was quoted as saying by state-run RIA Novosti.

"This applies, for example, to [caps on] car imports, mainly used cars and on certain light industry goods, not all, but certain types of textiles."

Belousov also said the government would support companies hit by sanctions. "We are working on support methods," he said. "It will certainly be provided."

Russia has moved to protect its economy after the European Union and the U.S. imposed sanctions on officials, banks and companies over Moscow's support of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow denies any involvement in eastern Ukraine.

In August, Kremlin banned food imports worth about $9 billion from the European Union, the U.S., Canada, Australia and Norway, its strongest response to the sanctions so far.

Belousov said he hoped Moscow would not be forced to act.

"I hope commonsense will prevail and we will not have to introduce those measures," he said.

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