Russia criticizes threats of sanctions against Ukraine as "extortion".

On February 20, Russia strongly criticized Western sanctions targeting Ukrainian officials, following the US imposition of a visa ban and the European Union's consideration of similar measures in response to the bloody clashes in Kyiv.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said the sanctions were "completely illegal" and "only exacerbate the confrontation" in Ukraine.

Protesters threw stones at Ukrainian police. (Source: Reuters)

According to the RIA Novosti news agency, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov compared the EU's threats of sanctions against Ukraine to "blackmail."

Speaking at a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, Foreign Minister Lavrov also accused "extremist and conservative elements" in Ukraine of seeking to instigate a civil war.

According to Lavrov, Moscow supports dialogue between the Ukrainian authorities and the opposition to find ways to overcome the crisis and jointly combat extremist elements seeking to incite civil war.

According to VNA