"We do not rule out any options for responding to Western illegitimate restrictions. The relevant capabilities and tools are available. We are ready for any development of events, although we are trying to avoid extreme measures," he told RIA Novosti.
The diplomat added that he would not like to talk about any scenarios of the economic, food and energy "apocalypse" - about what the continuation of the sanctions struggle is fraught with.
"Let's be moderately optimistic and hope that common sense will prevail," Birichevsky said.
The head of the Federal Network Agency of Germany, Klaus Müller, said earlier that the era of cheap energy from Russia for Germany is over.
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the EU authorities have begun to realize that US policy is leading to the deindustrialization of Europe.