The European Union knows what will be Russia's response to Brussels' extended sanctions against Crimea and Sevastopol, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
"They know what the response will be. They know that Crimea is part of the Russian Federation according to the constitution. They know that the decision was made on the basis of the Crimean referendum, the results of which are reconfirmed by life, which the EU cannot ignore," she wrote in her Telegram channel on Monday.
"They know, but they are still looking for their favorite rake," Zakharova added.
Earlier, the EU Council issued a statement extending restrictive measures against Crimea for a year as part of a 2014 strategy aimed at not recognizing the peninsula's reunification with Russia.
Restrictive measures against Crimea and its residents were adopted by the EU in June 2014. The sanctions prohibit European businesses from maintaining any contacts with Crimean businesses, European airlines from flying to Crimea and ships from entering Crimean ports, impose a complete trade blockade on the peninsula, and also prohibit EU countries from issuing visas to Crimean residents who have received Russian passports.
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Photo: Press Service of the Russian Foreign Ministry / TASS
Based on materials from TASS