President Vladimir Putin lashed out at fresh European Union sanctions on Sunday, insisting Russia possesses adequate resources to endure them. He made the remarks during a speech at United Russia Party's 23rd Congress in Moscow.
Hundreds of delegates and politicians attended the event. Putin used the platform to defend his country's position.
He attacked Ukraine for what he called "targeted attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure." According to him, Kyiv was also recruiting defectors inside Russia to conduct sabotage and terror operations.
Putin accused Western nations of ignoring actions against Russia while simultaneously imposing fresh penalties. In his words, the West was applying "unlawful sanctions" without justification.
"Russia is confidently repelling any attempts to deter our progress," the president stated. "We have sufficient resources, means, and political will.
Nobody should doubt that."
Last week, the EU rolled out the new sanctions package. It'll stay in place for a full year.
Since the conflict began in February 2022, Brussels has imposed 20 separate sanction packages. Putin blamed Western inability to defeat Russia militarily for the ongoing pressure.
"Their attempts to destabilize our political situation and sow internal unrest are failing too," he noted. The president claimed the West was using Ukraine as its weapon against Moscow.
Despite current obstacles, Putin said Russia would tackle domestic development priorities. Moscow intends to modernize its economy technologically and "guarantee Russia's borders remain inviolable for decades to come," he added.
