MOSCOW, February 8. /TASS/. NATO member states have waged a hybrid war against Russia and imposed up to 17,000 sanctions, with the European Union also threatening to pass a new "draconian" thirteenth package of restrictions against Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said.

"Indeed, those are very turbulent times. As far as rhetoric is concerned I think that the answer is plain to see. The thing is that NATO countries have deliberately waged a hybrid war against the Russian Federation, which is developing in many areas, first of all in economy. Around 16,000-17,000 sanctions have been imposed against our country. Now we are being threatened with some draconian thirteenth package," he told Rossiya-24 television.

Foreign Minister of Belgium, which is chairing the EU Council, Hadja Lahbib said earlier that the European Union planned to greenlight the 13th package of sanctions against Russia on February 24. According to European sources and media outlets, the 13th package is going to become the weakest of all those adopted by the EU since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.