Russian arms giant mocks new EU sanctions
Russian state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec has dismissed the latest EU sanctions as ineffective, calling the bloc 'a champion of meaningless measures.'
On Tuesday, the European Council approved the bloc's 17th round of restrictions targeting Russian individuals and companies, including Stan, a machine tool manufacturer that is part of Rostec.
Commenting on the package, Rostec told RIA Novosti that the West 'just can't stop trying' to bring down Russian industry.
'If Russia is the champion in terms of the number of sanctions imposed on it, then the EU is the champion of meaningless measures,' the company said, adding that the bloc's efforts 'would achieve nothing.'
Western countries have imposed widespread sanctions on Russia since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022. The measures have included bans on Russian seaborne oil shipments, restrictions on financial transactions, and freezing around $300 billion in foreign reserves.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned the sanctions as illegal and ineffective. President Vladimir Putin said in March that more than 28,000 sanctions had been imposed on Russia in recent years – more than the total levied on all other countries combined. According to the Russian leader, the West had sought to eliminate Russia as a competitor but only ended up making its economy more resilient.
In approving the latest round of sanctions on Tuesday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, a vocal critic of Moscow, said further measures 'are in the works' in Brussels. Meanwhile, the UK introduced separate sanctions targeting the St. Petersburg Currency Exchange and Russia's state deposit insurance agency in an effort to disrupt key financial infrastructure.
The sanctions come shortly after a Monday phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. After the conversation, Trump said Washington does not want to impose new economic restrictions on Moscow, warning that such steps could undermine efforts to achieve peace in the Ukraine conflict.
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