If the West continues its anti-Russian measures, Russia could respond by taking very painful measures, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.
“Our opponents should understand that step by step they are getting closer to the point of no return. What do I mean by point of no return? Let them think for themselves, but this foreign policy all-permissiveness and overindulgence in the feeling of impunity in the long run will lead to a situation when our response will turn out to be much more painful than they think now,” Ryabkov told the Izvestia daily in an interview published June 27, according to TASS. Ryabkov gave an exclusive interview to Izvestia on the sidelines of the June 25-26 Primakov Readings in Moscow.
“The European Union has announced that it will confiscate proceeds from the illegally frozen Russian assets and transfer these funds, which, according to the EU, will be used to help finance military assistance to Ukraine,” he said. “This is so cynical that one cannot help asking whether there is any limit of moral degradation of those who are striking the keynote in Brussels and other EU capitals.”
Izvestia also asked Ryabkov if Russia was considering reducing diplomatic relations with the U.S. more generally. “As for lowering the level of diplomatic relations, I should like to point out that we have never initiated such a step, despite all the twists and turns of the most acute phase in our relations with the so-called collective West. We believe that embassies and the work of ambassadors is a very heavy function, especially in the current circumstances, and it should not be neglected—there should remain channels of communication, including at a high level. We have had cases where Ambassadors have been recalled for consultations, and this is also common practice. We do not rule out any options in the future. It will all depend on who and how our adversaries behave.”
