Peter Stano, spokesman for the office of European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, called on Turkey to align its foreign policy with Brussels.

He said Turkey needs to stop offering Russia options to circumvent EU-imposed restrictive measures.

Speaking about the EU's engagement with Turkey, an important neighbor, EU partner and candidate country for EU membership, we stress the importance of ensuring that Turkey's foreign policy is aligned with EU foreign policy decisions and policies, including on sanctions. We will continue to closely monitor the situation in this regard, Stano said.

Earlier it was reported about the intention of the U.S. and the EU to increase pressure on Turkish banks because of fears that Russia manages to circumvent sanctions with their help. This will especially affect the banks connected to the Mir payment system. For its part, Turkey assured that it does not violate the policy and is not a channel for circumventing sanctions.