Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov Says The West Is Acting Like Bandits

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during the year-end press conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia, December 19, 2019. (Photo: ANTARA/Reuters/Evgenia Novozhenina)

JAKARTA - Western countries are behaving like bandits and Russia is too big to be isolated, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Saturday.

Peskov said the West was engaged in "economic banditism" against Russia.

He also said that Russia was too big to be isolated because the world was much wider than the United States and Europe.

"This does not mean Russia is isolated," Peskov said, as reported by Antara.

"The world is too big if Europe and America isolate a country, and even more so a country as big as Russia. There are many countries in this world," he added.

Peskov said that Moscow would respond to Western actions.

He did not specify what response would be taken, only saying it would be in Russia's interests.

Peskov added that if the US imposed sanctions on Russia's energy exports, the sanctions would give a major shock to energy markets.

The military action launched by Russia in Ukraine since last week has triggered international sanctions, especially from Western countries.