Russian minister Grushko says more Western sanctions will solve nothing, warns against crisis

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said on Tuesday further Western sanctions against Moscow over its latest dispute with Ukraine would not solve any problems, and he warned against using the crisis to escalate political tensions.

Russia seized three Ukrainian naval vessels and their crew in the Strait of Kerch, near Crimea, on Sunday, prompting fears of a wider conflict. Some Western politicians have called for new sanctions on Russia over the incident.

"If somebody wants to use this as a pretext for political escalation, I think it will not be a signal in the right direction," Grushko told reporters on the sidelines of the Berlin Security Conference.