The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Moscow has informed Japanese authorities of the harmful nature of the new sanctions imposed by Tokyo on bilateral relations between the two countries, threatening to respond very harshly.
The Foreign Ministry's statement said, "Another step towards the complete destruction of relations was represented by the Japanese government's imposition on June 21 of the twenty-fourth package of illegal unilateral sanctions against our country."
It added, "We warned that in such a case, we will continue to respond with the harshest countermeasures that are most sensitive for Tokyo, guided only by our national interests."
Earlier today, the Japanese Foreign Ministry announced sanctions against 41 Russian companies and 11 individuals, including employees of the Russian Central Election Commission.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that the West's policy of containing and weakening Russia is a long-term strategy and will not be effective, noting that the sanctions have dealt a serious blow to the entire global economy, and that the West seeks to destroy the lives of millions of people.
