The trade mission to Russia planned for May should not be cancelled for the time being, prime minister Mark Rutte told a tv news programme on Monday evening.

Economic affairs minister Henk Kamp, who will lead the mission of delegates from the oil and gas sector, said earlier he did not consider Russia’s annexation of the Crimea a reason to cancel the trip.

Rutte pointed out during the Pauw & Witteman programme that the European Union has introduced sanctions against 21 Russians and Ukrainians involved in the actions in the Crimea, but that no economic sanctions have yet been agreed.

‘We should not get ahead of ourselves,’ he told the programme.

The prime minister did say that economic sanctions would be needed in Russian president Vladimir Putin does not withdraw from the Crimea.