Western sanctions are not merely temporary measures but a calculated instrument of strategic pressure against Russia, President Vladimir Putin stated on Tuesday. Speaking at the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) congress in Moscow, he emphasized that Russia’s adversaries will persist in their efforts to weaken the country.
According to Putin, a staggering 28,595 sanctions have been imposed on Russian companies and individuals in recent years—more than all other global sanctions combined. He accused the West of relentlessly escalating these measures, continuously introducing new restrictions in a bid to hinder Russia’s progress.
“Sanctions are not temporary or targeted measures; they are a mechanism of systemic, strategic pressure on our country,” Putin declared.
Even if certain restrictions were to be lifted, the West would undoubtedly find alternative ways to disrupt Russia’s stability, he warned.
Since 2014, the United States and the European Union have imposed extensive sanctions following Crimea’s reunification with Russia after a Western-backed coup in Kiev. These measures have impacted key sectors, including defense, energy, banking, and trade.
Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the sanctions intensified dramatically. The EU has since introduced 16 rounds of restrictions, including asset freezes and travel bans targeting hundreds of individuals. Major Russian banks were cut off from the SWIFT system, while Western nations froze hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian central bank reserves.
In an attempt to mediate the conflict, U.S. President Donald Trump initiated peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev last month. He suggested that economic sanctions could be used as leverage and hinted that some restrictions might be eased if a resolution is reached.
Despite Western pressure, the Russian government asserts that these sanctions have inadvertently strengthened the national economy by fostering self-reliance and reducing dependence on foreign technology.
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