World Bulletin: Russia will not respond in kind to Western sanctions

Russia will not impose tit-for-tat measures or "fall into hysterics" over Western economic sanctions, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday, trying to stake out the high ground amid growing tensions with the West.

Speaking at a news conference, Lavrov said he hoped for an objective investigation into the crash in eastern Ukraine of a Malaysian airliner on July 18. Western leaders say flight MH17 was almost certainly shot down by mistake by Russian-backed separatists using a Russian-supplied surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 people on board.

Russia is facing more sanctions from Europe over its role in the Ukraine crisis, which has left Russia's ties with the West at their most strained since the Cold War, but Lavrov said such measures could make Russia more economically independent.

"I assure you, we will overcome any difficulties that may arise in certain areas of the economy, and maybe we will become more independent and more confident in our own strength," the foreign minister said.
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