MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia on Wednesday warned the European Union that if the bloc imposed restrictions on Russian media then Western reporters in Russia would feel a swift, harsh and painful response from the Russian state.
European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said that the EU would sanction Voice of Europe, along with Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Ria Novosti and Izvestia, Bloomberg reported on May 6.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Western correspondents in Moscow would feel response if the European Union took action against Russian media.
"If these measures are taken against the Russian media, Russian journalists, then, despite the fact that Western correspondents will not want to, they will also have to feel our retaliatory measures," Zakharova said.
"They felt our love before, but now they will have to feel the response," Zakharova said. "We will respond with lightning speed and extremely painfully for the Westeners."
Zakharova said that any move to put any Russian media outlet put under restriction, would immediately lead to a response in Russia against Western correspondents.
"If just one Russian media outlet is subjected to unjustified restrictions, then it will ricochet off their colleagues here in Russia, I mean, Western journalists," Zakharova said.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
