Russia Ready To Face Western Sanctions, Says Medvedev

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says Moscow is ready to face another round of Western sanctions over the crisis unfolding in Ukraine.

Western sanctions are considered as unfriendly acts against Russia, Medvedev said Tuesday while presenting the lower house of parliament with his annual report, assuring that the government is ready to protect the economy and citizens.

He added that sanctions were a chance for Russia to reduce its dependence on imports and that its economic priorities were unchanged.

“We won’t give up on cooperation with foreign companies, including from Western countries, but we will be ready for unfriendly steps…I am sure we can minimize their impact,” Medvedev said, adding, “We will not allow our citizens to become hostages of political games.”

Tensions between Western powers and Moscow heightened after Crimea declared independence from Ukraine and formally applied to become part of the Russian Federation following a referendum on March 16, in which nearly 97 percent of the participants voted for rejoining Russia, with a turnout of over 83 percent.

Washington accuses Moscow of supporting anti-Kiev protesters in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Moscow denies Western accusations.

Western sanctions however could provoke a backlash as the EU gets a quarter of its energy supplies from Russia.

Press T.V

R.S