Foreign Ministry: sanctions against Russia will not remain unanswered

Russia does not intend to leave the sanctions of the European Union unanswered. This is stated in the commentary of the Department of Information and Press of the Foreign Ministry in connection with the decision of the EU Council for Foreign Affairs in Ukraine.

"Attempts to speak with Russia" the language of power ", to threaten Russian citizens with sanctions to nowhere. Taking restricted measures is not our choice, however, it is clear that without an adequate response from Russia, the sanctions imposed against us will not remain," the document says.

The Foreign Ministry once again called the change of power in Kyiv by an “anti -constitutional coup” and accused Brussels of provoking a crisis in Ukraine. “It is time to understand the European Union that the cause of the crisis in Ukraine is not in Russia, but in the actions of individual Ukrainian political forces and their foreign curators,” the European Union said to recognize the referendum in the Crimea is called “regrettable”.

Moscow confirmed its readiness for interaction "with all international partners sincerely interested in normalizing the situation in Ukraine." In the Foreign Ministry, the West again calls on to accept the Russian proposal to create a support group for Ukraine.

The day before, the Foreign Ministry called for a constitutional assembly in Ukraine with an equal representation of all Ukrainian regions to prepare the new basic law of the country. According to Moscow, Ukraine should become a federal state. "The regions will independently elect the bodies of their legislative and executive authorities and have broad powers," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Russian diplomats proposed to introduce the principles of its language policy into the constitution of a neighboring state. "The Russian language, along with the Ukrainian, will be provided with the status of the second state language, and the rest of the languages ​​- status in accordance with the European Convention on the regional languages ​​and minority languages," the statement said. In addition, they were noted in the Foreign Ministry, a new constitution "will be prohibited and punishable to interfere in the affairs of the church and in interfaith relations."

On Monday, the Crimean parliament proclaimed the independence of the republic and approved the results of the referendum. According to the Crimean election commission, more than 96 percent of the voting participants spoke out for the accession of Crimea to Russia.

The Ukrainian authorities and the international community consider the referendum illegal - it contradicts the Constitution of Ukraine and was held in the conditions of occupation.

On Monday , sanctions against a number of Russian and Crimean officials were introduced by the United States, the European Union, as well as Canada. US President Barack Obama signed an order to block assets and introduce visa restrictions for 11 Russian and Ukrainian citizens who, according to Washington, for the actions of Russia in Crimea. The EU sanctions list includes the 21st name. France threatened Russia with a break in the contract for the supply of helicopter carriers of the Mistral type. Other sanctions are also developed.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the constitutional law on the adoption of two new subjects of the Federation - the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to the Parliament will bring to parliament. At the same time, the president emphasized that Russia does not want the section of Ukraine. At the end of Putin’s speech, an agreement was signed on the adoption of Crimea in Russia.