Russia Not Turning Its Back on Europe Despite Current Tensions - Kremlin

Current problems in the relations between Russia and the European Union do not mean than Moscow has forgotten about its traditional European partners, Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergei Ivanov said Sunday in an interview with the Financial Times.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Kremlin Chief of Staff Ivanov noted that even despite the sanctions restricting the trade between Russia and the EU, Brussels remains Moscow's leading trade partner.

"There is a myth that Russia, out of disappointment over the direction relations with its European partners are taking, is now turning its back on them and only looks East. This is a myth, it is not like that," Ivanov said.

The official pointed out that the global economy’s trends clearly demonstrate that "the market of the 21st century lies not in Europe but in Asia-Pacific."

"Therefore, as there are growing, promising markets, we must react to that if we want to remain competitive," Ivanov said.

Relations between Russia and the European Union deteriorated in 2014, when Brussels joined Washington in accusing Moscow of involvement the Ukrainian internal crisis and imposed economic sanctions against Russia.

Russian authorities have repeatedly denied the accusations and stressed that the Western sanctions policy was counterproductive. Following the Western restrictive measures, Russia intensified its economic cooperation with China and other Asia-Pacific nations.