Kremlin reiterates: Sanctions will not force Russia to back down

Despite the threat of further punitive measures by the US and the EU, Russia will not change its course toward Ukraine.

This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday.

President Vladimir Putin emphasized that the Russian economy has coped well with the sanctions so far and is growing faster than many G7 countries.

He called on companies to be as resilient as possible.

Peskov accused Europe and Ukraine of wanting to draw the US into their sphere of influence. Russia prefers a diplomatic solution to the conflict, but if this is not possible, the “special military operation” will continue.

The Russian economy grew by 4.1 percent in 2023 and by 4.3 percent last year.

However, growth is expected to level off significantly in 2025 due to high interest rates and ongoing sanctions pressure.

(reuters, sie)