New sanctions won't force Russia to change course, Kremlin says
As Western allies ponder implementing harsher sanctions on Russia amid its ongoing war in Ukraine, the Kremlin on Sept. 8 denied that additional economic pressure will force the country to change course.
"No sanctions will be able to force the Russian Federation to change the consistent position that our president has repeatedly spoken about," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a Russian state media reporter.
The comments come as the European Union is preparing a 19th package of sanctions targeting Russian banks and the energy sector, Bloomberg reported Sept. 8. U.S. President Donald Trump has also repeatedly threatened to implement secondary sanction on Russian oil if Moscow's invasion continues, although he has yet to do so.
Peskov further claimed that sanction "turned out to be absolutely useless in terms of exerting pressure on Russia."
Despite Peskov's claims, sanction have undeniably played an impact on Russia's economic fortunes, vastly limiting the country's trade with international partners, and weakening the country's ability to sell oil to fuel the country's war machine.
Following an initial economic surge led by the country's defense industry following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Russia's economy has continued to face uncertainty amid high inflation, slowed economic growth, and near-record interest rates.
Despite the challenges faced by Russia's economy, Moscow has shown no indication it is ready to halt its war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly repeatedly refused to attend an in-person meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Russian military officials have echoed the Kremlin's sentiments, with the chief of the General Staff of the Russian army, Valery Gerasimov stating on Aug. 30 that "the implementation of the tasks of the (full-scale invasion of Ukraine) by the Joint Group of Troops will continue by conducting offensive actions."
Russia has continued to launch attacks at Ukrainian cities in recent weeks.
Overnight on Sept. 7, Moscow launched its largest-ever drone attack on Ukraine, killing at least 5 people and injured 44 others. The attack also struck a government building, the Cabinet of Ministers building in Kyiv, for the first time.
In recent days, Trump has claimed that he is prepared to begin a "second phase" of sanctions on Russia, as U.S. officials have grown increasingly critical of Russia's attacks on civilians.
Zelensky said on Sept. 7 following the large-scale attack on Kyiv that Ukraine is "counting on a strong reaction from America. This is what is needed." The U.S. president has repeatedly called on the United States to implement further economic pressure to weaken Moscow's war machine.
