"We call on Russia to review its decision, to avoid a further deterioration of our relationship that is already under strain. The EU will continue to coordinate its position with its partners," Borrell said in a statement.
The bloc deplored the publication of measures in response to "Unfriendly Actions of Foreign States," slamming "the allegations of unfriendly actions as unfounded."
The Russian Cabinet on Friday approved the list of states that are not friendly to Russia, the list includes two countries: the United States and the Czech Republic. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an interview said that Moscow will not indiscriminately add countries to the list of unfriendly states, explaining that any decision will be preceded by a thorough analysis, while the list that has been drawn up may be revised over time. According to the minister, this will not be a "dead" paper: the list "will, of course, be revised" as relations with the respective states develop.
It is expected that on May 24-25, the topic of relations between Russia and the EU will be discussed at the bloc's summit in Brussels.