Russia calls EU "shameless" and vows to respond to sanctions
The Russian Foreign Ministry called the pretext for the EU Council to impose personal sanctions on Russians over the incident in the Kerch Strait hypocritical and brazen. According to the ministry, the European Union stands in solidarity with the Kiev authorities, who have “turned the events in the strait upside down.”
"The pretext for illegally including our compatriots in the EU sanctions list is shocking in its hypocrisy and brazenness. It is primarily concerned with the employees of the Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, who courageously perform their duty to protect the country's state border," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
They noted that accusations of Russia violating international law were untrue.
"It is impossible to ignore the fact that this decision was made right before the presidential elections in Ukraine," - the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.
The agency also stressed that the EU Council's decision speaks of a lack of respect for Russia's right to ensure the security of its borders, and that the EU's actions are an "irresponsible solution".
"The Russian side will not ignore the unfriendly actions of the EU," - the Russian Foreign Ministry concluded.