Russia’s strength is being tested by sanctions imposed by the West and the nation must react in a level-headed way, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev yesterday told members of Russia’s ruling party, United Russia.
“When a series of our partners, if they can be called that, test Russia’s strength through sanctions and all kinds of threats, it is important not to succumb to the temptation of so-called easy solutions and to preserve and continue the development of democratic processes in our society, our state,” Medvedev said in a televised speech.
The EU and the US imposed a fresh set of sanctions against Moscow late last week for its policy on Ukraine, further limiting access for some of Russia’s key companies to foreign capital markets.
Separately, the Russian government plans to provide state guarantees for defense industry contracts for up to five years, the RIA news agency cited Medvedev as saying.
“I have signed ... a government order to provide guarantees for up to five years for defense companies when they are fulfilling state defense contracts,” the agency cited Medvedev as saying at a government meeting.
Despite sanctions, the nation plans to honor all its agreements with the EU and Ukraine, but will trigger “protective measures” if a trade pact between the two comes into force early, Medvedev was quoted by RIA news agency as saying.
The EU and Ukraine agreed on Friday last week to delay the implementation of their free-trade pact until the end of next year in a concession to Russia, which is in conflict with Kiev over the unrest in eastern Ukraine.
Medvedev also said yesterday that the decision made in Brussels must be given a legal basis.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his advisory Security Council discussed progress in the peace process in southeast Ukraine and the possible fallout from Kiev’s pact with the EU, RIA reported.
“They discussed the process of the peaceful settlement of the crisis in southeast Ukraine, including its humanitarian aspects,” RIA quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.
“There was also an exchange of opinions on ... the potential negative consequences for the Russian and Ukrainian economies from the implementation of Ukraine’s association agreement with the European Union.”
Trilateral talks between Russia, the European Commission and Ukraine aimed at resolving a gas dispute are not to take place on Saturday as had been proposed earlier, a spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Energy said yesterday.
“Another date has to be agreed upon,” she said.
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