Sanctions impact on Russia to be longer term, U.S. says

By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Western sanctions on Moscow are intended to exert long-term pressure on Russia and not to push it "over the economic cliff," a U.S. State Department official said on Tuesday. EU and U.S. restrictions imposed on Moscow in 2014 over the Ukraine conflict shaved about 1.5 percent off Russian economic output in 2015, the official said, citing data from the International Monetary Fund. The effect of falling world oil prices was far greater, said the official, who r