Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday that Russia has voiced its opposition to theand Belarus. “Imposing sanctions without authorization of the UN Security Council will scarcely be effective,” Lukashevich told a press conference in Moscow on Thursday. He pointed out that imposing sanctions will only deteriorate the situation and put negative effect. “Russia will become concerned about the punishment measures by the EU as diplomatic means,” the Russian diplomat noted. Russia has voiced its opposition to unilateral sanctions by the West against the Islamic Republic of Iran several times before. Russia’s deputy foreign minister and senior nuclear negotiator, Sergei Ryabkov recently told the Russian state radio that his country is against unilateral anti-Iran sanctions and deemed such measure as inappropriate.