Putin says Russia will emerge from sanctions stronger

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said the country would emerge stronger from the sanctions that Western governments have imposed over its war on Ukraine.

“These sanctions would have been imposed in any case,” Putin said during a Russian government meeting. “There are some questions, problems and difficulties but in the past we have overcome them and we will overcome them now.”

“In the end, this will all lead to an increase in our independence, self-sufficiency and our sovereignty,” Putin added, according to Reuters.

Putin reiterated his claim that he had no option but to invade Ukraine. Last month, the Russian leader claimed that he was “forced” to invade, citing what he referred to as Western “intransigence” to Russia’s security concerns.

Despite the severe rounds of sanctions that European countries have enacted, Putin said Russia would continue to fulfill its contractual energy obligations to Europe. Earlier this week, President Biden announced that the U.S. would be banning all Russian energy imports, a move expected to exacerbate record high gas prices. 

However, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday, “This is a Putin spike at the gas pump, not one prompted by our sanctions.”

“They announced that they are closing the import of Russian oil to the American market,” Putin said Thursday. “Prices there are high, inflation is unprecedentedly high, has reached historic highs. They are trying to blame the results of their own mistakes on us.”

During the televised meeting, Reuters reported that Putin also acknowledged that the effects of the sanctions were being felt in Russia.

“It is clear that at such moments people’s demand for certain groups of goods always increases, but we have no doubt that we will solve all these problems while working in a calm fashion,” said Putin. “Gradually, people will orient themselves, they will understand that there are simply no events that we cannot close off and solve.”