Moscow-Sana
Today, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the British ambassador to Moscow, Deborah Brunert, in protest against the new London sanctions, and stressed Moscow's determination to respond firmly to them.
The TASS news agency quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement that it had handed the British ambassador a strongly worded protest note against London's adoption of a new package of sanctions against Russia and told her that "the continuation of this destructive line will lead to the permanent destruction of bilateral relations."
The statement indicated that "Britain launched an open confrontation with Russia, and that Moscow will continue to respond harshly and firmly, in accordance with international norms, to all sanctions imposed by London."
The new British sanctions come while the European Union is discussing the imposition of the sixth package of sanctions on Russia, which may include a ban on the import of Russian oil, amid division over that among European countries.