Putin says Western sanctions on Russia for war ‘failed’

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that the sanctions imposed by Western countries on Moscow were “stupid and reckless” and that the aim of “crushing the economy” had not worked.

Speaking at the St Petersburg Economic Forum, the Russian leader said that “the current situation in Europe will lead to a wave of radicalism and ultimately an elite shift,” and stressed Russia’s sovereignty and power over what it is. He presented it as hostility to the West.

“We are strong people and we can face any challenge. We will solve every problem like our ancestors, this is what our country’s millennial history speaks of,” he said.

According to the Kremlin leader, “the United States considers it the only center of the world” and “in the name of its geopolitical illusions, the West deliberately undermines international foundations”.

“The era of the unipolar world order is over, despite all attempts to preserve it by any means,” he argued.

“When they won the Cold War, the United States declared themselves God’s representatives on earth, people with no responsibilities – only interests. They proclaimed these sacred interests. Now it’s the one-way traffic that’s destabilizing the world.” , Putin added to the audience.

The Russian President also said that the current goal of “Russian hostility” represents an attempt to isolate a rebellious Russia from the West.

Despite this, Putin sees Chinese President Xi Jinping as “an all-round friend” and therefore “trade between Russia and China will reach record levels this year”.

During the panel, the Kremlin chief also explained that he has nothing against Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, arguing that the EU maintains a coherent and coherent stance as it is non-political, unlike the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). -military block

“Whether or not to join the economic unions is the sovereign decision of any country, and it is up to the European Union whether to accept new states as members. It is their question whether it is to Ukraine’s benefit or to its detriment,” he concluded.