MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/. Those who have in fact ruined the South Stream gas pipeline project should have gauged the effects in advance, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Tuesday.

“They, and not Russia, should give thought to this in earnest,” Lukashevich said, when asked about the likely consequences for Russia of the decision to discontinue South Stream.

“Our president has stated very clearly that love cannot be forced, and we will find other ways to implement our plans for gas supplies to other regions,” he added.

The official commented on Vladimir Putin's recent statement running Russia cannot begin the implementation of the South Stream project. The Russian president said so on Monday after his meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. Russia, according to the president, cannot begin the construction of the seabed section to the Bulgarian coast and is forced to revise its participation in the project.