Norwegian Prime Minister Speaks Out Against Isolation of Russia

MURMANSK (Sputnik) - Western countries should not isolate Russia, on the contrary, they should establish direct communication with Moscow to resolve the exceptionally difficult current political situation, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said on Tuesday.

"There is nothing good in isolating Russia. It is alarming that today we have so few contacts and direct communication with Russia," Store told the Norwegian parliament, as quoted by the NRK broadcaster.

The lack of dialogue undermines the possibility of reaching a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, the Norwegian prime minister said, adding that the current political situation was the most difficult since the World War II.

Western countries determined to isolate Russia after it launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24. They rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow, while also threatening Russian allies and partners with similar restrictions in the event of continued cooperation with and support for the country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that Russia could not be isolated. China has also vocally opposed the idea of imposing unilateral sanctions on any country and called for the continuation of dialogue in the interest of peaceful world development.

Disruptions in logistical and financial operations due to the crisis and Western sanctions against Russia have undermined supply chains and led to a spike in energy prices worldwide, pushing many European governments to resort to contingency measures. At the same time, the EU has been looking for alternatives to Russian natural gas as it has pledged to end its dependence on energy supplies from Russia.

On October 7, the European Union introduced the eighth package of sanctions against Moscow which, among other things, sets a framework for capping the price of Russian seaborne oil exports at a level coordinated by G7 allies.