Russia to respond if EU introduces new sanctions

The Russian government promised on Monday to respond if the European Union introduces further sanctions related to the treatment of opposition leader Alexey Navalny. The statement came in response to the decision taken by the union’s foreign ministers to sanction individual Russian officials.

Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Grushko said Moscow sees the punitive measures as “unlawful and self-defeating,” according to Sputnik News. However, he did not specify what steps the country plans to take. The ministry already accused the EU of making “unlawful and absurd demands” for Navalny’s release. A Russian court found the politician guilty of slander after he was sentenced to over two and a half years in prison for violating the terms of his probation.

Breaking the News / DJ