Putin says Russia must prepare for additional Western sanctions

ISTANBUL

President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia must prepare for additional Western sanctions.

“We must be prepared for the fact that Western sanctions pressure will intensify,” he said at a government meeting on economic issues.

Putin said the West has adopted countless sanctions packages in recent years but they have “practically become entangled” in the sanctions.

“They tried to punish us, but in the end, as we see … they hit their own economy,” he said.

Putin also said Western politicians have reached “the point of absurdity in their fantasies,” with proposals on banning the export of small goods such as screwdrivers and needles to Russia.

“Well, the less junk, the better, perhaps. There is less chance that bed bugs will be exported to us from large European cities,” he said.

Putin also claimed acts of sabotage on important infrastructure facilities can be used against Russia in the case where the use of sanctions is "actually exhausted."​​​​​​​