VIENNA, March 6. /TASS/. Russia’s full economic isolation from Europe is impossible because Russia is a major EU neighbor, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said in an interview that was published by Der Standard on Monday.
"Voices are now heard in Europe that want complete separation from Russia. We have to be careful in our desires. Russia will not disappear, but it will remain the EU's largest neighbor. Pretending that the country can be economically isolated like North Korea is a fallacy. This is simply impossible," the minister said.
Earlier, Schallenberg said that the European Union would need Russia after the end of the Ukrainian conflict to maintain a dialogue with it on security in Europe. He also said Vienna was ready to become a platform for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.