Russia said on Friday it would be ready to sever ties with the European Union if the bloc hit it with painful economic sanctions, a statement that Germany described as disconcerting and incomprehensible. [ Ссылка ]
Ties between Russia and the West, already at post-Cold War lows, have come under renewed pressure over the arrest and jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
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Three European diplomats told Reuters on Thursday the EU was likely to impose travel bans and asset freezes on allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin, possibly as soon as this month.
Pressure for sanctions has grown since Moscow infuriated European countries last week by expelling German, Polish and Swedish diplomats without telling the EU’s foreign policy chief, who was in Moscow for a visit. Paris and Berlin say there must be a response.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was asked in an interview published on the ministry’s website on Friday whether Moscow was moving towards cutting ties with the EU.
“We proceed from the fact that we’re ready (for that). In the event that we again see sanctions imposed in some sectors that create risks for our economy, including in the most sensitive spheres,” Lavrov said.
“We don’t want to isolate ourselves from global life, but we have to be ready for that. If you want peace then prepare for war.”
The Kremlin offered a softer interpretation of Lavrov’s words later on Friday. It said Russia wanted to develop ties with EU rather than sever them, but that Moscow felt it had to be ready for Brussels to take steps to cut ties.
“If the EU goes down that path then yes, we should be ready, because you have to be ready for the worst,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.
“Of course, if we encounter an extremely destructive line that damages our infrastructure and our interests, then of course Russia has to be ready in advance for those kinds of unfriendly steps.”
The foreign ministry later said Moscow would be prepared to cut ties if Brussels initiated such a break, the RIA news agency reported.
Kremlin backtracks
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later told reporters that Lavrov's comments had been taken out of context, saying that Russia wanted to develop relations with Brussels, but that it must be prepared for the worst.
He blamed mass media for publishing a "sensational headline" without context, despite the Foreign Ministry publishing the excerpt from the interview earlier without context on the ministry's website.
When asked if breaking off relations with the EU was an option in the future, he responded that Russia must "of course" be prepared to take such steps if it was hit with "extremely destructive" moves that damaged its infrastructure.
Peskov said Moscow needed to be ready to replace any of its vital infrastructure if it is deprived of necessary elements.
In a separate interview published in the Izvestia newspaper earlier on Friday, Russian permanent representative to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, said Russia-EU talks would continue and that Borrell's Moscow trip was a positive sign of a willingness to engage.
Borrell: Kremlin sees democracy as threat
His comments came after the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said on Tuesday that he believed that Russia wanted to break away from Europe and divide the West.
"The Russian government is going down a worrisome authoritarian route," said Borrell. "There seems to be almost no room for the development of democratic alternatives ... they are merciless in stifling any such attempts," he told the European Parliament. He said the Kremlin saw democracy as an "existential threat."
Borrell's remarks, backed up by European Council President Charles Michel, point towards the EU hardening its stance towards Moscow after years of seeking better ties.
Germany: Comments are 'disconcerting'
A spokeswoman for the German Foreign Ministry said Lavrov's comments were "disconcerting and incomprehensible."
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas "has clearly outlined our points of discontent with Russia," Andrea Sasse said at a regular government press conference. "But he also said that we're interested in cooperation with Russia. In this respect, these statements from Foreign Minister Lavrov are truly disconcerting."
Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert added: "I can only underline that."
New sanctions coming
The EU has hinted at imposing new sanctions against Moscow over the detention of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and a crackdown on protesters in Russia.
According to some reports, the EU is planning to impose travel bans and asset freezes on allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin, after France and Germany gave the go-ahead.
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