Moscow (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Kremlin claimed that the greater the number of sanctions that Europe imposed on Russia, the more painful the punishment would be for their own economies since Moscow became increasingly resilient to ‘illegal’ measures.
When Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022, it triggered a remarkable amount of Western sanctions, and it made Russia the most sanctioned major economy in the world. The Western governments imposed these restrictions in the hope that they would entice President Vladimir Putin into a peaceful resolution in Ukraine. Indeed, the Russian economy did contract in 2022, but it grew in 2023 and 2024, faster than the European Union economy as well.
Western European countries’ heads, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have called for tougher sanctions, saying this would push Russia to the negotiating table to end the war. However, the Kremlin believes only rational arguments can persuade Moscow to negotiate.
Why does the Kremlin call sanctions a double-edged sword?
“The more serious the package of sanctions, which, I repeat, we consider illegal, the more serious will be the recoil from a gun to the shoulder. This is a double-edged sword,”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state television.
Mr Peskov, speaking to Pavel Zarubin, the Kremlin’s top correspondent for state television, said he did not doubt the European Union would impose further measures, but that Moscow had developed a resistance to them.
Moreover, on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that further EU sanctions on Russia would only harm Europe, highlighting that Russia’s economy expanded by 4.3% in 2024, compared to 0.9% growth in the eurozone.
What is included in the EU’s latest imposed 17th sanctions package?
As part of the continuing response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the Cascade adopted its 17th package of sanctions against Russia on May 20, 2025. This package significantly increases economic and legal pressure against Russia through sanctions, a long reach of sanctions, and their impact.
The package identifies 189 more vessels (mostly oil tankers) as being vessels that make up Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which violates the oil price cap and shipping restrictions. Thus, this package sanctions an additional 189 vessels that now bringing the total of sanctioned vessels to 342. These vessels face port access bans and restrictions.
