New sanctions against Russia could threaten international security according to minister

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev

The adoption of new sanctions against Russia could pose a threat to international security, warned Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, in an interview published by the newspaper Vedomosti.

“We know that economic sanctions are first, then follow the policy responses which are always asymmetric. And this is more terrible than supplies restrictions. It can produce the security system bankruptcyin the world,” said Medvedev.

He also expressed confidence that Moscow’s Western partners do not want to undermine international security because “among the people making the decisions there are no insane people.”

On Friday, the European Union agreed on a new round of sanctions against Russia for its involvement in the Ukrainian crisis, which will be adopted formally today, but which may be raised if the ceasefire agreed in eastern Ukraine is stable and verifiable.