'Russia ready for breakup with EU if sanctions imposed'

MOSCOW

Moscow is ready to break ties with the European Union if it follows through on its plan to impose sanctions, Russia’s foreign minister said on Friday.

In an interview on the Soloviev Live YouTube channel, Sergey Lavrov said Russia has no desire to be isolated from the world but needs to be prepared for any eventuality.

To a question on whether Russia is heading towards a breakup with the bloc, Lavrov said: “We believe that we are ready; if we see once again, as we already have more than once, that sanctions are being imposed in some areas that create risks for our economy, including the most sensitive areas.”

“We do not want to be isolated from global life, but we must be prepared for this. If you want peace, then prepare for war,” he asserted.

Lavrov’s remarks follow news reports on Thursday that the EU has started working on proposed sanctions against Russia over the conviction of opposition politician Alexey Navalny.

According to the reports, representatives of EU member states discussed possible measures against Moscow at a closed meeting on Feb. 10, and no one opposed the plan.