MOSCOW, June 27. /TASS/. Moscow is looking at lowering the level of diplomatic relations with Western countries in response to their anti-Russian actions, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.
"Is a solution envisaging the lowering of the level of diplomatic relations possible today? I can say that this is what is being looked at. Such decisions in Russia are made at the top level. As long as there are no such decisions, it is counterproductive to speculate on this topic," he said in an interview with the Izvestia daily, when asked about Moscow’s possible response to the West’s anti-Russian policy.
He stressed that Russia has never been the first to take such a step, "despite all the upheavals of the worst phase in our relations with the so-called collective West." "We believe that the embassies and the work of ambassadors is a very difficult job, especially in the current environment and should not be disregarded. Lines of communication, including at a high level, should say in place," he noted. "There have been cases when ambassadors were recalled for consultations. And this is a general practice."
However, in his words, the Russian side "does not rule out any options in the future."
"Everything will depend on how our opponents behave," the senior diplomat added.