Russian President Vladimir Putin said that if Western countries seize Russian merchant ships, Moscow will respond to it on the “mirror” principle.
Modern.az reports with reference to foreign media that Putin said that Western countries are trying to restrict the movement of Russian ships in violation of international law, and called it “piracy and banditry.”
According to the Russian leader, if such steps are implemented in practice, Moscow will take retaliatory measures.
Putin said that Russia's response will not necessarily be in the waters where interventions against Russian ships occurred. He said that Moscow could respond in any area it deems appropriate, including the Pacific Ocean.
It should be noted that Putin had previously stated that possible attempts to seize the Russian merchant fleet should be responded to within the framework of international maritime law, but decisively.
