Russian defense industry group Rostec has just spoken out against the latest round of Russian sanctions from the European Union (EU), calling these "unreasonable measures" and affirming that the West "never give up the intention of destroying Russian industry".
The announcement was made by Rostec on May 20, shortly after the European Council officially approved the 17th round of sanctions targeting Russian individuals and businesses, including Stan, a Rostec industrial equipment manufacturer.
If Russia is the champion of the number of sanctions imposed, then the EU is the champion of meaningless measures. All these efforts will not bring any results, Rostec told RIA Novosti.
Since the escalation of the Ukrainian conflict in 2022, Western countries have simultaneously imposed many sanctions on Russia. These include an embargo on seaborne oil transportation, restrictions on financial transactions, and freezing about $300 billion in Russian foreign currency reserves abroad.
However, Moscow has repeatedly criticized the sanctions as illegal and ineffective. President Vladimir Putin said in March that Russia has now suffered more than 28,000 sanctions - more than the total imposed on all other countries combined. According to him, the West wants to remove Russia from the global competition, but in reality, it only makes the Russian economy increasingly "more resistant".
At the same time the EU announced the new round of sanctions, EU Foreign Policy High Representative Kaja Kallas, one of the strongest supporters of Russia, said Brussels was continuing to plan additional sanctions.
Not only the EU, the UK has also imposed its own sanctions, targeting the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange. Petersburg and the Russian National Deposit Insurance Agency, with the aim of breaking Moscows key financial infrastructure.
The new sanctions came just a day after a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. During the meeting, Mr. Trump said that Washington did not want to impose new economic sanctions on Moscow, warning that this could harm efforts to find peace in the Ukrainian conflict.
In the context of continued sanctions, observers are questioning whether the Western's economicaying strategy is gradually backfiring, as targeted targets are learning to adapt, counterattack, and even mock again?
