Russia Threatens More Retaliation if Western Countries Toughen Sanctions

In Local Newspaper Interview, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev Says Nothing Good Comes of Sanctions

By Andrey Ostroukh, WSJ
Sept. 8, 2014

MOSCOW--Russia may ban foreign airlines flying over its territory as part of "asymmetric" retaliation against western countries if they impose sanctions on Russian energy companies and further constrain the country's financial sector, Russia's Prime Minister has said in a newspaper interview.

Russia has already banned imports of a wide range of U.S. and European foods in response to western sanctions imposed after its annexation of Crimea last spring and the deepening crisis in Ukraine since then.

In the interview published by the Vedomosti newspaper Monday, Dmitry Medvedev said a ban on flights over its territory would bankrupt many airlines.

"But this is a bad story. I just want our partners to understand this point," the head of Russia's government said.

Many American and European carriers fly over Siberia to reach destinations in Asia.

(More here.)