Moscow Not to Revise Stance on Ukraine, Reunification With Crimea

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin believes that the West started putting pressure on Russia not because of its reunification with Crimea following a referendum in March 2014, but "as soon as Moscow declared its right to act independently and to make sovereign decisions."

MOSCOW, January 28 (Sputnik) – Russia is not going to revise its stance on Ukraine crisis, as well as its decision to reunify with Crimea, despite political and economic pressure posed on Moscow by Western sanctions, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Wednesday.

"The price that we are ready to pay is pretty high. Therefore, we are not going to revise any decisions, including those on Crimea and Sevastopol. We can only wonder at stubbornness and sometimes stupidity of our Western partners, who think that their sanctions can pressure us," Rogozin said.

The West started putting pressure on Russia not because of its reunification with Crimea following a referendum in March 2014, but "as soon as Moscow declared its right to act independently and to make sovereign decisions," Rogozin added.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that EU foreign ministers plan to extend sanctions, imposed on Russia in March 2014, by another six months in response to the worsening situation in Ukraine.

Following Russia's reunification with Crimea, its relations with a number of Western countries have significantly deteriorated. The United States, European Union and a number of other countries did not recognize the results of Crimea's referendum, accused Russia of interfering in the internal Ukrainian conflict and imposed several rounds of sanctions against Moscow. The latest restrictions, imposed in December 2014, specifically target Crimea and include new sanctions against certain individuals and entities operating in the region.