The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, stated via her telegram channel that Russian diplomats cannot be isolated. In her remarks, she responded to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba, who suggested that Western nations should isolate Russian diplomats in capital cities and in international organizations to support Ukraine’s aims. “Make a fuss, remember: No one will be able to isolate Russian diplomats. The world is weary of illegal sanctions and the overreach of a small group of Western regimes”, Zakharova’s representative commented.
In mid-December, Dmitry Birichevsky, head of the Economic Cooperation Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that despite Western pressure, Turkey, China, the United Arab Emirates and many other countries would continue to seek avenues to cooperate with Russia. He argued that these nations are acting in their own national interests rather than aligning with the United States or the European Union.
Earlier, Mikhail Ulyanov, the Russian representative to international organizations in Vienna, stated that Western politicians’ claims about Russia being isolated on the world stage do not reflect reality. Previously, officials in Russia indicated readiness to respond to possible sanctions from the European Union.