Updated 2:33 p.m. Moscow time
MINSK, October 10 (RIA Novosti) – Moscow does not oppose mending ties with the European Union and is ready to do this, but terms of possible cooperation remain unclear, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.
"We have never opposed rapprochement with the European Union, we want to improve ties, but the terms of our cooperation remain unclear," he said.
Relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated significantly amid the crisis in Ukraine, as western politicians and media have repeatedly accused Russia of meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs and aiding the independence supporters of the country's southeast.
A number of western states, including the EU countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia over its alleged involvement in the crisis, which Moscow has repeatedly denied. The sanctions predominantly target the banking, energy and military sectors.
In August, Moscow responded to the restrictive measures, implementing a one-year ban on certain food imports from the countries that imposed anti-Russian sanctions.
