Russia will respond reciprocally to air travel bans - Peskov
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After several air travel bans by European countries, Peskov addresses the behavior to reporters.
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Peskov: Europe should focus on interests, not US demands
The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia will be responding to European air travel bans, and it will be guided by the principle of reciprocity and Russian interests.
"Of course, there will be answers. The guiding principle will be the principle of reciprocity. And, of course, our own interests will be put at the forefront," Peskov told reporters.
Russia has the means necessary to compensate for the damage that sanctions created, according to Peskov.
"These are heavy sanctions, they are problematic, but Russia has the necessary potential to compensate for the damage before these sanctions," Peskov said.
Read more: Russia: No catastrophe if Russia disconnected from SWIFT
"Russia's responses will be built mainly from the point of view of expediency and our own interests ... We will do what is in our interests," Peskov said.
In response to the air travel bans issued by Baltic countries - Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovenia, - the UK, Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria, the Russian Federation banned each of these countries from using its airspace.
According to a spokesman for the German Ministry of Transport, Germany intends to follow suit and close its airspace to Russian aircraft.
Lufthansa, the official German carrier, announced a suspension of its flights to and through Russia for the next week, stressing that flights within Russian airspace will soon leave.
Finland follows suit
Joining the European countries, Finland's Transport Minister Timo Harakka tweeted that Finland is "preparing to close its airspace to Russian air traffic," without mentioning when exactly the measure will be implemented.
Finland is also planning to send a shipment of bullet-proof jackets, helmets, and a mobile hospital to Ukraine.
In addition, Helsinki has approved the supply of around 40 artillery weapons to Ukraine.
On Thursday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg invited Sweden and Finland to attend a NATO virtual summit on the situation in and around Ukraine on Friday.
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, on the same day, said Finland would be ready to join NATO "if the issue of national security becomes acute."
According to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Friday, if Sweden and Finland become members, Russia will have to respond.
