ST. PETERSBURG, December 4. /TASS/. The Faroe Islands' decision to join the anti-Russian sanctions gives Moscow no choice but to consider countermeasures to the unfriendly move, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"Until now, we have deliberately refrained from taking countermeasures in response to the set of anti-Russian steps implemented by Torshavn since 2022, doing so out of interest in maintaining constructive relations in the field of fisheries," the diplomat noted. "However, the autonomous region's new unfriendly actions call into question its commitment to the November 27, 1977 agreement on mutual relations in the field of fisheries between the USSR and the Faroe Islands because they undermine the prospects for bilateral fisheries cooperation and force the Russian side to consider introducing appropriate countermeasures," Zakharova emphasized.

According to the diplomat, on December 2, the Faroe Islands’ parliament approved amendments to local legislation that establish a legal basis for the autonomous region's participation in the European Union's anti-Russian sanctions. "These changes were initiated by the Russia-hating camp to provide legal justification for the local authorities to ban fishing in the Faroe Islands' waters and entry into its ports for vessels belonging to Russian fishing companies Murman Seafood and Norebo," she added.

According to Zakharova, this confrontational move by Torshavn is outlandish. "It was taken under the absurd pretext of the alleged involvement of Russian fishing vessels in some kind of hybrid operations," the spokeswoman said.

The diplomat emphasized that all this points to the politically motivated nature of the new legislative changes. "They were approved despite protests from a number of politicians, business circles, and the public, who reasonably fear the possible negative economic consequences of this insane initiative," she said. "In its desire to demonstrate Euro-Atlantic solidarity, Torshavn is abandoning its previous pragmatism in international relations and sacrificing the fundamental interests of its population. For what? For nothing, apparently, just to be under pressure," Zakharova pointed out.