"We do not want to be isolated from the world, but we must be ready for all possibilities. If you want peace, prepare for war." With these firm words, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov responded to reports from the European Union about the latter's intention to impose economic sanctions on Russia.
In a special interview on the YouTube platform of journalist Solovyov Live, Lavrov announced that Russia is prepared to sever ties with the European Union if the latter imposes sanctions that threaten sensitive sectors of the Russian economy. He stated, "We proceed from the fact that we are ready to cut relations if we see again that sanctions are imposed on some important sectors that create risks for our economy, including the most sensitive sectors."
Lavrov added, "We do not want to isolate ourselves from global life, but we must be prepared for that. If you want peace - prepare for war." Leonid Volkov, one of the prominent aides to opposition leader Alexei Navalny, announced that he discussed with European representatives the possibility of imposing sanctions targeting senior Russian officials and figures close to President Vladimir Putin, adding, "We will discuss this a lot in the future, in the coming weeks and months."
Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated during a plenary session of the European Parliament discussing his visit to Moscow that Russia has shown no interest in restoring relations with the EU, describing the relationship as having reached a dead end. EU countries criticize the court's decision regarding Alexei Navalny and the detention of participants in the recent protests supporting him.
