Russia to respond ‘asymmetrically’ to new sanctions: PM

PanARMENIAN.Net - Moscow will respond "asymmetrically" to new sanctions over the Ukraine crisis, possibly targeting flights over Russia, if its Western partners press on with "the temptation to use force in international relations", Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said, according to Reuters.

Blaming the West for damaging the Russian economy by triggering several rounds of "stupid" sanctions, Medvedev underlined Moscow's belief it is occupying the higher ground in the worst confrontation with the West since the Cold War.

Russia may have been too patient in responding to sanctions imposed so far by the United States and European Union over Moscow's role in Ukraine, he told the Russian daily Vedomosti.

"If there are sanctions related to the energy sector, or further restrictions on Russia's financial sector, we will have to respond asymmetrically," he said in an interview published on Monday, Sept 8, adding the airlines of "friendly countries" were allowed to fly over Russia.

"If Western carriers have to bypass our airspace, this could drive many struggling airlines into bankruptcy. This is not the way to go. We just hope our partners realize this at some point."

The European Union has agreed on new economic sanctions on Russia, including oil company Rosneft and units of gas producer Gazprom, which should come into force on Monday, but said they could be suspended to allow Moscow to show it was resolving the conflict that has killed nearly 3,000 people.

A ceasefire was agreed on Friday by envoys from Ukraine, the leadership of pro-Russian militias fighting Kiev government forces, Russia and Europe's OSCE security watchdog but it has been tested by fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Shelling resumed near the port of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov on Saturday, just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko had agreed in a phone call that the truce was holding. One woman was killed and at least four others wounded in fighting overnight into Sunday.

Medvedev said the sanctions had done little to bring "calm in Ukraine".

"They are wide of the mark, as the vast majority of political leaders recognize. Unfortunately, we are seeing the inertia of a certain way of thinking and the temptation to use force in international relations," he said.