Russian gov’t reiterates threat to close Russian airspace in response to sanctions

The Russian government stated on Monday that it may still ban Western airlines from flying over its territory as part of an “asymmetrical” response to new European Union sanctions over the Ukraine crisis. Blaming the West for damaging the Russian economy by triggering “stupid” sanctions, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow would press on with measures to reduce reliance on imports, starting with increasing output of domestic aircraft. Medvedev suggested that Russia should have hit back harder over the action by the United States and European Union to punish Moscow for its role in Ukraine, stating that it had been