MOSCOW, February 17. /TASS/. Any Western attempts to impose a naval blockade on Russia are illegal, Russian Presidential Aide and Chairman of the Maritime Board Nikolay Patrushev said in an interview with aif.ru.
"Any attempt to impose a naval blockade on our country is completely illegal under international law, and the concept of a shadow fleet, which EU representatives are brandishing here and there, is a legal fiction," Patrushev said. "Nevertheless, as a first step, we are using universally recognized political, diplomatic, and legal mechanisms. But there is almost no hope left that the West retains even a shred of respect for diplomacy and the law," he added, when asked how Russia would respond to attempts by NATO countries to block certain areas, such as the Baltic Sea.
Patrushev noted that "in essence, by pursuing plans for a naval blockade, the Europeans are deliberately taking the path of military escalation, testing the limits of our patience and provoking us to take decisive countermeasures."
"If this situation cannot be resolved peacefully, the blockade will be broken and lifted by the Navy. Let us not forget that many ships sail the seas under European flags. We may also take an interest in what they are carrying and where they are heading," he concluded.