Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Western sanctions against Russia had failed to achieve their goals, describing them as “record-breaking” in both scale and ineffectiveness.
Speaking at a meeting with State Duma lawmakers at the Grand Kremlin Palace, Putin said the “West” had intensified pressure on Russia since 2022 but failed to weaken the country.
“The West has kicked the Russophobic machine into high gear, setting ‘world records.’ This is true in two ways: the number of so-called sanctions and their futility,” he said.
He argued that the restrictions had caused greater harm to the countries that imposed them than to Russia.
“It’s also true in the damage these sanctions inflict, first and foremost, on their authors and initiators, and on the peoples of some European and other countries,” Putin said.
He accused Western countries of trying to cripple Russia’s economy and undermine its scientific and industrial potential.
“Moreover, unable to defeat Russia on the battlefield, they are now relying on openly terrorist methods to wage war against our people,” he said. “But no one can ever break the Russian people.”
Despite what he described as a difficult period, Putin said Russia had adapted to external pressure while continuing to pursue long-term economic goals.
He added that the government would continue supporting key sectors of the economy, businesses, employment and social programs while maintaining defense spending.
The EU adopted its 21st sanctions package against Russia on Thursday, expanding restrictions on the country’s financial and energy sectors.
The measures extend the bloc’s transaction ban to 33 additional Russian credit and financial institutions, target cryptocurrency platforms and impose further restrictions aimed at curbing Russian oil revenues.
The bloc also suspended the automatic adjustment of the Russian oil price cap until July 15, 2027, seeking to prevent Moscow from benefiting from market disruptions.
