Russia says it will retaliate against EU visa restrictions

Russia said on Thursday it would retaliate against European Union curbs on visas for Russians, but would not close itself off from the bloc.

“The interests of us, of our people, will be taken into account in the first place when choosing retaliatory measures,”

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters. “The Russian Federation won’t close itself up to the EU in response.”

EU foreign ministers agreed last week on measures to make it harder and more costly for Russian citizens to enter the bloc. The Kremlin has called the restrictions “ridiculous”

Since then, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland have all said they will limit the entry of Russian nationals.