Donetsk, Dec 10 – DAN. The EU sanctions against Donbass residents who participated in the leadership elections establish the atmosphere of mistrust and removes the peaceful solution further, said DPR acting Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova.

"Personal sanctions do not benefit any of the sides of the conflict. Once again they waste time and efforts for meaningless and ineffective sanctions instead of deescalating the conflict."

She said the EU travel and business ban shall not be a serious obstacle for DPR leadership, though such actions create "the atmosphere of mistrust and removes the peaceful solution further".

The European Union added nine persons to the list of those subject to restrictive measures over actions "undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine". They are listed in connection with their involvement in the elections in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic. In particular, Leonid Pasechnik, People's Councils chairpersons Denis Miroshnichenko and Vladimir Bidyevka, the Central Election Comissions heads Elena Kravchenko and Olga Pozdnyakova; their deputies Maxim Svidchenko and Alexey Naidenko and commissions' secretaries Ekaterina Tereschenko and Vladimir Vysotskiy were put on the list.*ot