BERLIN, March 7: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday refused to include energy supplies with western sanctions on Russian finances. "Europe deliberately exempted energy supplies from Russia from sanction," said a statement by Scholz office, adding that steps are carefully being taken to both affect the Russian government and be sustainable long term. His remarks came on the backdrop of the West tightening sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine late last month.

The German federal government and European partners are rapidly working at the task, "But that doesn't happen overnight," said Scholz, concluding that commercial activities in the field of energy supplies will continue with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had demanded the West to impose more sanctions to effectively affect Russia's energy supply lines; one of the Federation's main source of income.(KUNA)