The Kremlin rejects the effectiveness of Western sanctions and says that Russia will not be forced to negotiate over the war in Ukraine. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, only “logic and arguments“ could have an impact, Die Welt reports, quoted by Focus.
According to Peskov, the planned 18th package of sanctions by the European Union will also not lead to an end to hostilities. “Only logic and arguments can force Russia to sit at the negotiating table. "It is impossible to squeeze our country with any pressure or force," he said in an interview with Moscow State Television.
Peskov added that he expected the new sanctions package to be adopted eventually, but warned that the stricter the measures, the stronger Moscow's response would be. According to him, the sanctions are a "double-edged sword" as they also cause economic damage to the European Union itself - for example, by denying it Russian energy resources.
The adoption of the 18th sanctions package failed last Friday due to resistance from Slovakia, with the new vote postponed indefinitely.
Peskov stressed that Russia considers the sanctions illegal. "It is obvious that after almost four years we have already built resilience. We have learned how to minimize the effect of such measures," he concluded.