All news

Moscow has something up sleeve if G7 decides to ban all exports to Russia — diplomat

Maria Zakharova said that the new potential trade restrictions on Moscow would "undermine the generally recognized principles of international trade"

MOSCOW, April 27. /TASS/. Moscow will give "a balanced and calibrated" response should the G7 decide to impose a near total ban on all exports to Russia, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a news briefing on Thursday.

"If more sanctions are imposed, we will respond, but, as usual, our response will be balanced and calibrated, guided by the tasks of protecting our interests, the interests of our citizenry and maintaining the stability of the national economy," she said, commenting on reports about the G7’s discussions about a plan to ban all exports to Russia.

The new potential trade restrictions on Moscow would "undermine the generally recognized principles of international trade," Zakharova maintained. "[The United States] does not care about any blowback because it would primarily affect the EU, and who in Washington will ever bother to care about some other countries?" she added.

Meanwhile, Moscow is set to foster cooperation with reliable partners who Zakharova said were showing "a constructive posture toward Russia."

Earlier this week, the Financial Times reported about a US proposal urging G7 countries to ban all exports to Russia amid rising frustration in Washington with the existing system of loopholes enabling Moscow to continue importing Western technologies. Japanese and EU officials resisted the plan, the newspaper said.