Russia says it is prepared to sever ties with the European Union if the bloc follows through with threats to implement tough new economic sanctions against Moscow over the detention and jailing of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny.

Speaking in an interview with the YouTube channel Solovyev Live on February 12, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that if further sanctions are imposed on Russia and they “create risks” to the country’s economy, “then yes,” relations could be broken off.

Lavrov’s comments come a day after diplomatic sources suggested the European Union was likely to impose travel bans and asset freezes — possibly within weeks — on allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We do not want to be isolated from international life, but we must be ready for this. If you want peace, then you should prepare for war,” Lavrov said.

Source – Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty