Kremlin: It's impossible to shut off Russia behind an iron curtain

The Kremlin said on Thursday it was impossible to shut Russia off behind an iron curtain and that it needed Ukraine to become a neutral country where offensive weapons were not deployed.

When asked to assess the risk of Russia being put behind an iron curtain due to its actions in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said:

"It's simply impossible to cut off a country like Russia with an iron curtain."

'EMOTIONAL' MARKET REACTION TO UKRAINE INVASION 'PREDICTED'

The Kremlin said that a sharp drop in the value of the ruble and on the Moscow stock exchange was a predictable reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"The emotional reaction of the markets and in the financial sector was predicted. All necessary measures have been taken to ensure this period is over as quickly as possible," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.