The gas pipelines "Nord Stream 2" and "Turkey Stream" will be launched despite the US sanctions, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, adding that Russia plans to respond to the sanctions with new measures.
"We will respond to the sanctions so that we do not harm ourselves, but we will definitely respond and we will certainly take that into account when we build our relations," Lavrov said in an interview with Russian Channel One television.
He noted that he did not believe that American politicians would go so far in making such decisions and that it is difficult for him to understand the situation considering that he knows most of the American congressmen and senators who voted for the sanctions, who are mostly Democrats.
US President Donald Trump signed a law that introduces sanctions to companies that help the Russian company "Gazprom" in the completion of the construction of the gas pipeline "Nord Stream 2", which will supply the European Union with that energy. The US considers "Nord Stream 2" a security risk for Europe.
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Lavrov stated that Russia is ready to include its Sarmat heavy missile and Avangard hypersonic missile in the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty START, if it is extended, reports Bag.
He added that Russia is ready to show the Sarmat missile to the United States of America.
Lavrov pointed out that Moscow and Beijing have no plans to create a military alliance and recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeated this several times.
Lavrov, however, noted that Russia and China are allies in the field of politics and defense of international law and polycentric international relations.
He emphasized that China uses its economic power on the international stage by respecting established rules and not trying to humiliate anyone with ultimatums.
"The fathers of the current globalization are probably offended because they were outplayed by the rules they established themselves. But that's life, competition, the free market, the rules adopted in Bretno Woods that still exist," concluded Lavrov.
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