Kremlin Says Russia Plans to Respond to Western Sanctions
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russia, in response to Western sanctions, will do what is in its interests, said the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov.
"Russia 's responses will be built mainly from the point of view of expediency and our own interests ... We will do what is in our interests," Peskov said, answering the question whether Russia would have a mirror response to the sanctions that were imposed against it, RIA Novosti reported.
"There are response plans, they have been prepared, developed, and they are being implemented now as problems arise," Peskov told reporters.
“So far nothing has happened to us with you ... I repeat once again: as problems arise, nothing has happened to us so far,” he said, answering a question about whether it is planned to make decisions to support citizens and the economy.
Speaking about the sanctions imposed on the Central Bank of Russia, Peskov noted that he would avoid emotional assessments. “Actions are important now, actions that minimize the consequences. We will give assessments later. Now the main thing for us is to minimize the consequences, to establish a workflow in the current new conditions, competent people are doing this,” Peskov added.
On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, which declared their independence from Kiev back in 2014, and on February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine.
Putin said that circumstances “require decisive and immediate action,” as the Donbass republics have asked for help.
In response, Western countries have imposed another anti-Russian sanction since 2014. Many EU countries announced the decision to close the airspace for Russian aircraft. The Russian Federation responded by restricting the use of its airspace to flights of aircraft associated with or registered with the UK, including transit flights, from February 25.
