Russia will respond to the new package of sanctions from the European Union (EU) with effective and decisive measures, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova declared.

Moscow.- “Russia strongly condemns any illegitimate unilateral coercive measures. More and more countries share and support this approach. Naturally, for our part, we will take effective and decisive steps in response to this new EU sanctions package,” Zakharova said in a statement published on the EU’s website.

Zakharova criticized Brussels’ practices, noting that the EU “is blackmailing a growing number of third countries” by applying secondary sanctions. She added that Brussels openly declares that it “assumes the right to dictate the terms of trade and economic cooperation between sovereign states.”

She warned that such efforts to become a “global policeman” will not be without consequences for the EU.

On Thursday, EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas announced that the EU had adopted the 19th package of sanctions against Russia.

“Even before adopting the 19th package, EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas announced that the EU was already working on the next one. (PL)