Along with the low price of oil, sanctions imposed on Russia in response to crises in Ukraine have struck a major blow to its economy, a European leader said. The European Union in March 2014 imposed sanctions against Russia after it annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. Violence erupted in Ukraine the previous November after the former Soviet republic started a slow pivot toward the EU. Sanctions imposed in July cut into the Russian energy sector, which accounted for more than half of the government’s revenue. Gabrielius Landsbergis, a Lithuanian member of the European Parliament steering aid to Ukraine, said Thursday the sanctions have created huge problems for the Russian economy. “It’s difficult to measure the exact results, but what we […]