President Vladimir Putin denounced the latest European Union sanctions on Sunday, boasting that Russia has enough resources to weather the storm.
The premier delivered a speech in Moscow at the United Russia Party’s 23rd Congress, attended by hundreds of delegates, politicians, and guests.
He condemned Ukraine’s “targeted attacks on civilians and civilian facilities,” and the “recruitment of renegades within our country” to carry out sabotage and terrorist attacks.
The President accused Western countries of turning a blind eye to many actions against Russia, and instead “imposing new unlawful sanctions against us.”
“Russia is confidently repelling any attempts to deter our progress,” he said. “We have sufficient resources, means, and political will. Nobody should doubt that.”
The new EU sanctions, announced last week, will remain in effect for one year. The alliance has adopted 20 packages of sanctions since the full-scale war started in February 2022.
Putin emphasized that the “unprecedented pressure from the Western elites” was due to the inability to collectively defeat the Russian federation on the battlefield.
“Their attempts to destabilise the political situation and sow internal unrest are failing too,” he noted. “They keep encouraging Kiev, which they have chosen as a battering ram in their struggle.”
Putin said despite the challenges, Moscow will solve domestic development issues, elevate the economy to a new technological level, and “ensure the inviolability of Russia’s borders for decades ahead.”
President Vladimir Putin has taunted the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, declaring that the alliance has failed to defeat Russia through Ukraine.
Putin spoke at the Kremlin during a meeting with military personnel participating in the special military operation as part of the Russia Day commemoration.
The premier said his country stands alone against the “so-called collective West represented by NATO,” with several countries supporting actions directed against Russia.
”It was them (NATO) who started the war,” he emphasized. “I have said this many times, we did not initiate the conflict when the special military operation began (in 2022).”
Putin insists NATO’s “coup d’etat in Ukraine” and deployment of artillery and rocket systems compelled Russia to protect the people of Crimea (in 2014), leading to the war in eastern Ukraine.
“We did not wake up one day and decided that we would start a war tomorrow,” he said. “For eight years, we attempted to achieve a peaceful settlement.”
Putin recalled Moscow urging the Ukrainian authorities to talk with southeastern Ukraine, where Russians live, and were repeatedly assured that agreements would be implemented.
The President said despite the Minsk Agreements, Russia’s foes openly admitted in recent months that the pact was intended to provide time for Kyiv to rearm and launch warfare.
