Russia vows response to EU limiting movements of diplomats
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As the EU says it may restrict Russian diplomats under its 19th sanctions package, Moscow warns of inevitable retaliation if measures are imposed.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic during their meeting at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, Tuesday, September 2, 2025. (AP)
Should the European Union decide to impose restrictions on the movements of Russian diplomats, Russia will inevitably deliver an adequate response, said Vladislav Maslennikov, the director of the Department of European Issues at the Russian Foreign Ministry, in an interview for RIA Novosti.
According to an August report from Politico, which cited Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky, the European Union, under its proposed 19th package of sanctions, could move to ban Russian diplomats from traveling freely within the Schengen area.
"It cannot be ruled out that discriminatory measures initiated by individual EU member states against our diplomats accredited on their territory may be put into effect. We are closely monitoring this issue," Maslennikov to RIA Novosti.
The Russian Foreign Ministry official added, "We consider the threat of restrictions on the freedom of movement of Russian diplomats as an openly confrontational step, which, if implemented, like all illegitimate unilateral measures previously taken by Brussels, will entail measured, adequate, and most importantly, inevitable retaliatory steps from the Russian side."
US steps up threats against Russia
This comes amid intensified signals by the West indicating that more sanctions could be imposed on Russia, with Trump making such a declaration, marking a new escalation by the United States.
According to a report from Reuters, US President Donald Trump stated on September 7 that his administration, in connection with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, is prepared to proceed with a second stage of sanctions against Russia. Speaking at the White House, Trump indicated that Washington is ready to increase pressure on Moscow if no progress is made toward a peace settlement.
Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that Washington was prepared to intensify sanctions on Russia in an effort to allegedly push it toward a peace agreement with Ukraine, while also emphasizing that the United States seeks the European Union’s participation in the effort to maximize its impact.
Despite alleged pursuits to end the conflict in Ukraine, Donald Trump has consistently threatened Russia as a means to pressure it into succumbing to a deal, and two weeks ago, he warned that Russia could face severe economic consequences if no peace deal is reached.
"I'd like it [Ukraine conflict] to stop. I want to get it to stop. And it will not be a world war, but it will be an economic war, and an economic war is going to be bad, and it's going to be bad for Russia. And I don't want that now," Trump stated during a cabinet meeting in Washington.
The US president emphasized that Washington would not pursue a military confrontation but was prepared to use economic sanctions against Moscow, stating, "We have economic sanctions. I am talking about economics because we're not going to get into a world war."
