Kremlin Says West Running Out of Measures to Put Pressure on Russia | Farsnews Agency

Western countries are competing with each other to take steps against Russia but they are running out of measures to put pressure on Moscow, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

When commenting on a possible ban on the issuance of Schengen visas to Russians, he said, "We can see that EU countries and North American nations are literally competing with each other to take unfriendly measures against Russia," TASS reported

"However, we can also see that they are running out of measures that they expect to put pressure on us and make us change our position, though it’s a mistaken belief," Peskov noted.

Kremlin Spokesman stressed that Moscow will react very negatively and take action in case Finland limits issuing visas to Russians; however, Russia hopes that such an initiative will not be implemented.

"Russia’s reaction will be negative; as far as we understand, so far this idea has not been implemented; let’s hope it won’t [be implemented]. But, of course, any such activities in regard to Russian citizens will trigger countermeasures, a response," the Kremlin spokesman said.

He added that Moscow’s reaction to such Finland’s decision would be "understandable and quite predictable".

The Kremlin spokesman noted that Moscow expected its Western partners to adopt a sober approach on issuing Schengen visas. According to Peskov, the Kaliningrad transit situation has made it clear that the West still has some common sense.

A number of Finnish lawmakers earlier suggested banning the issuance of visas to Russians due to the conflict in Ukraine.

Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department Ivan Volynkin told TASS that Moscow did not rule out the possibility of a visa ban against Russian nationals.