Russia warned the European Union today that if the bloc imposes restrictions on Russian media, Western reporters in Russia will feel a quick, harsh and painful response from the Russian state, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
Vice-President of the European Commission Vera Jourova has announced that the EU will impose sanctions on the Prague-based news website "Voice of Europe" as well as the newspaper "Rossiyskaya Gazeta", the Russian news agency RIA Novosti and the newspaper " ;Notices", Bloomberg reported last week.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing today that Western correspondents in Moscow will feel the state's reaction if the EU takes action against Russian media.
"If these measures are taken against the Russian media, Russian journalists, then, although Western correspondents will not want to, they will also have to feel our countermeasures,", Zakharova said.
"They used to feel our love, but now they will have to feel the answer. We will respond swiftly and extremely painfully for Westerners," she added. Zakharova also commented on the reports in the Western media, according to which Russia is planning sabotage in Europe, defining them as "anti-Russian insinuations".