Russian Foreign Ministry Says Trying To Avoid Extreme Measures In Sanctions Response

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th March, 2023) Russia does not exclude any options for responding to Western sanctions, but is trying to avoid extreme measures, Dmitry Birichevsky, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's economic cooperation department, told Sputnik.

"We do not rule out any options for responding to Western illegitimate restrictions. We have the appropriate opportunities and tools.

We are ready for any development of events, although we are trying to avoid extreme measures," Birichevsky said.

He called for optimism and said he hoped that common sense would still prevail and the unfriendly Western countries would understand the futility and harm that the sanctions confrontation with Russia is causing.

"So I would not like to talk about scenarios of an economic, food and energy 'apocalypse,' which could lead to the unwinding of the sanctions spiral," Birichevsky told Sputnik.