Russian FM: Moscow will not give in to blackmail and threats - Will choose any option to respond to sanctions

© Sputnik/ Evgeniya Novozhenova

Moscow reserves the right to respond to Western sanctions in any way it sees fit, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told RIA Novosti.

Washington, Brussels and a number of their allies have introduced several rounds of economic sanctions toward Russia, accusing the country of interfering in the Ukrainian crisis. Moscow has dismissed the accusations and responded with a one-year ban on certain food imports from sanctions-imposing nations.

"We reserve to ourselves the maximum freedom of action in this regard. We cannot give in to blackmail and threats, we cannot stay apathetic amid off-handed attempts to pressure Russia with the goal of changing its foreign policy line," the official said.

Ryabkov also pointed out that US diplomats often resort to the phrase "all options remain on the table" to describe a situation in which the president or a high-ranked official considers different approaches to a given situation.

"This is said at different levels and is not considered discreditable... We are saying exactly the same, we are saying that all options remain on the table, and which one will be chosen depends on a variety of factors," the diplomat said.

Last week, US Secretary of State John Kerry suggested that the United States would likely expand sanctions against Moscow in the near future, despite the brokering by Russia two weeks earlier of a ceasefire agreement between Kiev forces and East Ukraine's independence supporters.