PM Medvedev regrets loss of dialogue with some EU countries because of sanctions

Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said he regrets the loss of dialogue with some European countries after the anti-Russian sanctions were introduced. In an interview with the Euronews TV channel Medvedev said:

"A significant part of trade and economic cooperation was suspended, and cultural cooperation was reduced significantly. Unfortunately, we have lost our dialogue with some countries."

Medvedev named Poland as an example.

"I can openly say that we have no relations with Poland at the political or economic dialogue level. Is that good or bad? I am not sure. I think this is not very good, even if we think about the specific history that links our countries," he said.

Medvedev recalled that when he visited Poland at some point he thought that the two countries were "much closer to establishing a dialogue."

"Now, this dialogue is nonexistent, and there’s nothing good about that, either," he stressed.

Medvedev said that the relations between Russia and the EU "are going through hard times."

"We believe that this is the result of rather hasty decisions made by the European Union itself. And I think EU residents are the ones paying for these decisions (I emphasize once again, we did not initiate them). Of course, this negatively affects our country as well. Businesses are paying for it. Ultimately, it affects the people," he concluded.