EU sanctions limit opportunities for dialogue: Russia

The EU and the US imposed a new round of sanctions on Russia last Friday

The European Union (EU) sanctions against Russia limits the possibilities of bilateral dialogue, Russia's foreign ministry said Monday.

"The spiral of EU sanctions considerably narrows the opportunities for substantial dialogue," according to a statement released by the ministry after Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin met with EU envoy to Russia Vygaudas Usackas.

"Russia gave a negative assessment to the new package of EU restrictive measures regarding Russia," Xinhua quoted the ministry statement as saying, citing the the Itar-Tass news agency.

"The EU actions do not leave Russia with any other choices but to take additional measures to protect our interests."

The EU and the US imposed a new round of sanctions on Russia Friday, which came despite the fact that the Ukrainian government and rebels inked a ceasefire agreement last week in Minsk, capital of Belarus.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on the same day after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tajik capital Dushanbe that Moscow was mulling response measures to the sanctions.