Russia’s embargo gives a “devastating blow” to small Greek farmers, especially fruit and vegetable producers, Communist Party of Greece (KKE) MEP Kostas Papadakis and Sotiris Zarianopoulos said in a letter sent to top European Union officials.

The letter was addressed to the current European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President-elect Jean-Claude Juncker, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy Catherine Ashton, the Commissioner-designate for Economic and Monetary Affairs Jyrki Katainen and the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Dacian Ciolos.

“The sanctions of the EU and the US against Russia, with the unanimous agreement of all its governments, resulted in countermeasures on the part of the latter, starting with the embargo on agricultural products originating in the EU-US and the risk of their expansion to energy and other sectors of the economy with dire consequences for the people. The Greek government has great responsibilities because it supported, even during its EU Presidency, the imperialist intervention in Ukraine with the main criterion being the penetration of European and American monopolies in the region,” KKE MEPs said.

“The EU and all of its governments have great responsibilities for this situation,” they added asking the Commission to explain “the measures it plans to take to lift sanctions against Russian and immediately compensate farmers affected by the decisions of the EU.”