MOSCOW, August 4. /TASS/. Russia considers new EU sanctions absolutely farfetched and reserves the right to retaliatory measures, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Friday.
"Brussels’ decision to add some Russian officials and companies to the EU sanctions list in response to allegedly ‘illegal’ supply of Siemens-produced gas turbines to Crimea is disconcerting," the statement says. "We regard this action taken at Berlin’s initiative as unfriendly and groundless."
"We get the impression that German authorities have made use of expansive interpretation of sanctions restrictions that directly contradicts both international law and the principles of international relations as a whole," the ministry noted.
"Responsibility for this decision, including possible economic costs incurred by Siemens and other German, as well as European, companies working in Russia is fully vested in the EU and Germany’s government," the ministry stressed. "We consider reasons for applying a new portion of restrictive measures against our country absolutely farfetched and reserve the right to retaliatory measures."
Moscow is disappointed by "politicization of the issue reduced to an absurdity that is in fact a regular commercial dispute between economic entities." Russia "resolutely denies any attempts to use it a as an example of alleged negligence of Russian companies," the ministry said.
"Despite the current situation, we confirm our interest in preservation and steady development of economic cooperation with Germany and the EU," the comment says. "We will stay loyal to all obligations undertaken earlier."
The Russian Foreign Ministry underlined that Russia was striving to "overcome negative effects from sanctions tools" through joint efforts.