Russia to Continue to Seek Return of Diplomatic Property in US - Kremlin

On Russian Diplomatic Property

"We still consider illegal this seizure of diplomatic property. We do not agree with this, we will continue to work on the return of the property that belongs to the Russian Federation on the basis of international law," Peskov told journalists when asked whether there was any progress in the issue of Russian diplomatic property in the United States.

READ MORE: Russia Continues Work on Lawsuit Against US Over Diplomatic Property

The US shut down Russia's Consulate General in San Francisco and trade missions in New York City and Washington, DC on September 2. US officials said the move came in response to Moscow's offer to Washington to reduce the number of US diplomatic staff in Russia to 455 people, the same number of diplomatic personnel Russia has in the United States. The US security services subsequently entered the premises to perform searches.

On EU's Anti-Russian Sanctions

The Kremlin regrets the EU's decision to extend the economic sanctions against Russia, as "such decisions do not correspond to the interests of countries making part of the EU or the Russian Federation."

According to Peskov, Moscow still considers these sanctions "illegal, wrong in essence," but does not give up its intention to normalize relations with Brussels.

A political decision to extend the economic sanctions against Russia, which were to expire at the end of January 2018, was adopted by the EU leaders at a summit on Thursday.

READ MORE: EU Exempts Fuel for ExoMars Mission From Anti-Russian Sanctions

Earlier, Peskov stated that Russia had fully adapted to the continued economic pressure from Western sanctions, with the Russian economy "breaking the downward spiral and entering the growth trajectory."

On North Korean Problem

Russian President Putin and his US counterpart Trump in a phone conversation "spoke in favor of establishing dialogue and creating contacts with the North Korean side" and agreed to exchange information and possible initiatives on North Korea resolution, Peskov noted, adding that the conversation was "rather long and quite substantive."

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula run high after the recent Pyongyang's missile launch, the most powerful so far. The missile test was universally condemned as another dangerous provocation.

The US earlier urged the international community to increase the sanction's pressure on North Korea and cut off commercial, diplomatic, military and any other ties with Pyongyang, whereas Russia called for the world's powers to refrain from further escalating tensions.

On Detention of Russian Lawmaker Kerimov

Russia will do everything needed to protect the rights of Russian upper house lawmaker Suleiman Kerimov if France violates them, Peskov has pointed out.

READ MORE: French Court Releases Russian Senator Kerimov on Bail — Prosecutor

"Now lawyers are working there, so in this case, it is only they who can now participate in settling this controversial situation that has arisen," Peskov said adding that the Kremlin was monitoring the situation.

When asked whether the Russian Prosecutor's office would launch a probe, if the French Prosecutor's office charges were confirmed, Peskov answered: "I can't say, it is necessary to contact the prosecutor's office."

Kerimov was detained last month at the airport in Nice. Nice's public prosecutor Jean-Michel Pretre told Sputnik that French prosecutors had brought tax evasion and money laundering charges against the Russian lawmaker.

On OSCE Mission's Security in Donbass

Kiev does not engage in contacts with Donbass to agree upon the deployment parameters of the mission to ensure the security of the OSCE staff, Peskov said Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia as a guarantor of the Minsk agreements was not against putting the situation in Donbass under the international control, but this issue should be decided only during direct talks between the parties.

"At the same time, Putin draws attention to the fact that the deployment of the mission is not possible without the appropriate coordination of this issue between the parties to the conflict, to which Russia does not apply at all. Parties to the conflict here are on the one hand — Kiev, and on the other hand — two unrecognized republics of Donbas. And the president just told you that, unfortunately, Kiev had not yet made these contacts," Peskov said.

On Russian Opposition Figure Navalny

Peskov noted that the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not refer to opposition figure Alexei Navalny by name is apparently related to the president’s attitude to the politician, "which the president did not conceal during yesterday’s press conference."

READ MORE: Russian Opposition Figure Navalny Arrested for Unauthorized Rally Calls

During Putin’s presser, answering the question about Navalny, the president compared the opposition figure to ex-Georgian president turned Ukrainian politician, Mikhail Saakashvili, saying that "such Saakashvilis" would like to destabilize the situation in Russia.

Asked if Putin’s answer to Sobchak may be considered as evidence of a politicized nature of the refusal to allow Navalny to run for president, Peskov said that in the presidential administration’s point of view, such an impression was wrong.

Navalny has repeatedly announced plans to run for president in 2018. However, head of Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC), Ella Pamfilova has stated that Navalny cannot participate in the 2018 election over his conviction in an embezzlement case.

In February, Navalny received a suspended 5-year sentence in the case of embezzlement of 16 million rubles ($279,000) from the state-run Kirovles company.