Russia Threatens to Restrict Air Space If EU Imposes Further Sanctions

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview to a Russian Business daily Monday that if the European Union imposes further sanctions then his government will be forced to consider restricting air space access to the West.

"If there are sanctions related to the energy sector, or further restrictions on Russia's financial sector, we will have to respond asymmetrically," the Prime Minister told Russian daily Vedomosti, reports The Independent.

Medvedev said that with financial and energy sanctions, the EU was hurting the economy of his country. According to him, Russia had been showing immense patience with the sanctions imposed on it by the EU due to the Ukraine crisis. His government will be looking to become less dependent on imports and develop alternate resources, he said.

"Sanctions certainly don't help bring peace in Ukraine. They hit wide off the mark and an absolute majority of politicians realise that," he said.

He added Russia may decide to only allow the airlines of "friendly countries" to fly in its airspace, reports Agence FrancePress.

The necessity to "bypass our airspace ... could drive many struggling airlines into bankruptcy," Medvedev said , reports the Washington Post.

Flights to Asia from Europe will be mainly affected if the threat is carried through. This is not the first time that Russia has used this threat.

"Diverting flights over the North Pole or southern alternatives is actually something Europeans have experience in. Not too long ago, Russia forced all planes flying over the country to land in Moscow. Many foreign airlines reacted by choosing the about 20 percent longer routes in the north or south that avoid Russian airspace," reveals HansjochenEhmer, a professor of aviation management to the Washington Post.

But Russia would suffer losses too. Airlines flying over Russia's massive land mass pay a royalty fee, which it would lose if flights are diverted.