Russia doesn't rule out expansion of list of blacklisted persons
MOSCOW. June 1 (Interfax) - The black list of U.S. and European citizens who are denied entry into Russia may be expanded if the United States and the EU increase the restrictive measures on Russian citizens, Maria Zakharova, deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's information and press department, said.
"We will mirror any changes. It's called the principle of mutuality. It's impossible to allow us to be treated in a biased and virtually unmotivated way," Zakharova told the Russian News Service on Monday.
"We have to take mirror the actions taken by the U.S. and the EU. We spoke about the principle for forming this list. We also said it is a forced measure and that don't like it. We said we are hoping that we will cancel out lists when the passions for such lists end in the U.S. and the EU," the Russian Foreign Ministry official said.
Zakharova expressed surprise about the Western reaction to the black list of Europeans.
She said the information on the restrictions has been available for a long time. "We started regularly talking that we had to mirror the actions by the U.S. and the EU 1.5 years ago, not just via diplomatic channels but also publicly. Quotes of high-ranking diplomats, deputy ministers, Russian permanent envoys to international organizations, in which they clearly said why we are doing it, can be found in the mass media," she said.
Zakharova said this frenzy has coincided with the period of relative stability of relations between Russia and the West.
"As soon as the situation calms down and constructive dialogue begins on the Minsk agreements and on other issues, we have the impression that someone really wants to create another information polemic out of nothing," she said.
The press officer for European External Action Service (EEAS) said on Saturday that the Russian authorities have provided a stop list of persons who are banned from entering Russia. There are 89 names on the list. The EEAS called the appearance of the list arbitrary and ungrounded.