Russia cannot be punished, proper relations can be built - PM Medvedev
21 March 2014, 19:05 -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has expressed hope that reason will prevail in relations between the international community and Russia following the events in Ukraine, as was the case after the 'difficult decisions' in August 2008.
'I hope reason will prevail today as well. Russia cannot be punished. But it is possible to build proper relations with Russia,' Medvedev said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.
After the August 2008 events, when, as president of Russia at the time, I had to make a decision to use Russian Armed Forces in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the international community, too, had to discuss how to build relations with Russia, Medvedev recalled.
'I have to admit that all our partners managed, albeit with some difficulty, to find a balanced line of behavior with Russia in that period. This ensured stable international development in the following years, including our efforts as a G20 member to tackle the global economic crisis, security and regional issues,' Medvedev said.
The decisions to introduce Russian troops to Abkhazia and South Ossetia were difficult, but 'further events proved: there was no other way,' Medvedev said.
Voice of Russia, Interfax
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