Russia flaunts resilience in the face of new US and EU sanctions. The Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, has openly declared that it is impossible to force Moscow to change its course on Ukraine, Reuters reports.
His statements came as a response to US President Donald Trump’s claims that he is ready to introduce new sanctions against Moscow over the war in Ukraine and strike at buyers of Russian oil.
Kremlin dismisses Western sanctions
“No sanctions will be able to force the Russian Federation to change its consistent position, which our president has repeatedly voiced,” says Peskov.
The Kremlin’s spokesperson’s words aren’t far from the truth. Despite thousands of sanctions imposed after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion in 2022, the Russian economy has stayed afloat.
Russia’s economy even grew by 4.1% in 2023 and 4.3% in 2024. But this year, growth has slowed sharply due to high interest rates and the costs of war.
Ukraine calls for real security
Meanwhile, Ukrainian presidential sanctions adviser Vladyslav Vlasiuk has calculated that Russia has lost at least $150 billion due to sanctions, yet retains its military potential. The country remains the most sanctioned state in the world.
At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stressed that real security guarantees, which can protect Ukraine from Russia, can only come from a strong Ukrainian army backed by support from its Western allies.
However, as Washington has delayed a new package of military aid to Kyiv, the fighting between Russia and Ukraine is dragging on into a war of attrition for both sides.