Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov says he is ready to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, despite rumors that he was responsible for the cancellation of the summit between Trump and Putin by raising the bar in a phone call with Rubio. In an interview with Ria Novosti, Lavrov downplayed the breakdown in contacts. «Rubio and I understand the need for regular communication – he said – It is important to discuss the Ukrainian issue and promote the bilateral agenda. This is why we communicate by telephone and are ready to hold in-person meetings when necessary.”
«The cynicism with which the European Commission interprets the UN Charter and other international legal norms, including the provisions on sovereign immunity and the inviolability of central bank assets, has long ceased to be surprising. These actions constitute a real deception and robbery.” Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov says this on the hypothesis of using frozen Russian assets to support Kiev, quoted by Ria Novosti. “No matter how the plan to extort money from the Russians is orchestrated, there is no legal way to do it” and “Russia will respond appropriately.”
According to Lavrov, Russia will respond “appropriately” and “in compliance with the principle of reciprocity, national interests and the need to compensate for the damage caused.” In the interview Lavrov said that “apparently, the long-standing instincts of colonizers and pirates have awakened in Europeans».
«The confiscation of our gold and currency reserves will not save Kiev’s protégés of unified Europe – declared the Russian minister. It is clear that the regime will not be able to repay any debt and will never repay its loans.”
“Considering this – he then added – not everyone in the European Union is willing to blindly adopt such measures, which also entail serious risks for the reputation of the eurozone as an economic hub” and “Brussels and other Western capitals could still come to their senses and abandon the planned adventure”.