Updated 12:23 p.m. Moscoe time
MOSCOW, October 14 (RIA Novosti) – The relations between Russia and the European Union have approached the "moment of truth," when the vector of their long-term future development needs to be defined, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.
"During our previous contacts we mentioned that relations between Russia and the European Union have approached a kind of moment of truth, when we need to make a decision about the long-term vector of cooperation and answer the question: are we strategic partners for each other, or do we still remain geopolitical rivals?" , he said.
Earlier on Monday, Russia's top official said that Moscow opposes confrontation with the West and a refusal to cooperate is not an option either for Russia or for the West.
Russia's relations with the West began to deteriorate significantly over the Ukrainian crisis. Western politicians and media have repeatedly accused Russia of meddling with Ukraine's internal affairs and aiding independence supporters in the country's southeast, a claim Moscow has repeatedly denied.
Over the past few months, a number of Western countries, including the EU member states, have introduced several rounds of economic sanctions against Russia. The restrictions target Russia's banking, oil and defense sectors and ban the provision of technical and other assistance to Russian companies in the field of oil exploration and production.
In August, Moscow responded to the measures by implementing a one-year ban on certain food imports from the countries that imposed anti-Russian sanctions.
