Russian government voices veiled threat against Cyprus

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow ''will have to take response measures in case of a military build-up by the US in Cyprus.''

Zakharova said that ''the information is coming from different sources about Washington’s active actions to ensure the possibility of building up its military presence in Cyprus for countering the growing Russian influence in the region in light of the successful implementation of the operation of the Russian Aerospace Force in Syria."

President Nicos Anastasiades speaking at an energy forum in Nicosia on Tuesday announced that he was expecting the US to express interest in taking part in the trilateral energy cooperation between Cyprus, Greece and Israel. ''I attribute particular importance in the interest shown by the US to take part in the trilateral cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Israel'' he said.

According Russian Tass news agency Zakharova also said that "the further militarization of the island and its involvement in the implementation of American and NATO plans will inevitably lead to dangerous and destabilizing consequences for Cyprus itself." "Moscow cannot but take into consideration the anti-Russian background of these schemes''.

''We will have to take response measures in case of their implementation."