Main points
- Russia does not plan to change its position on the war, despite the growing sanctions pressure, considering Western sanctions useless and illegal.
- The Kremlin says new EU sanctions will not force Russia to the negotiating table and economic pressure cannot force talks.
Peskov rejected the idea of negotiations under the pressure of sanctions / Photo Getty Images
Moscow does not plan to change its position on the war against Ukraine, despite the growing sanctions pressure. The Kremlin considers such Western measures useless and even illegal. At the same time, the Russian authorities assure that they have already learned to overcome the consequences of economic restrictions.
Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov publicly stated that even the latest EU sanctions package will not force Russia to sit down at the negotiating table. According to him, the Kremlin will react to new restrictions, considering them pressure that cannot be imposed by force. This was reported by 24 Kanal with reference to Die Welt.
Russia rejects coercion to negotiate
He argues that “only logic and arguments” can form the basis for negotiations, but not economic or political pressure.
According to Peskov, Moscow has developed a certain resistance to Western restrictions and is able to minimize their consequences. At the same time, the Kremlin considers sanctions “illegal.” also harms the European economy. According to the Kremlin spokesman, the planned 18th package of EU sanctions will not lead to an end to Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine.
Moscow has repeatedly stated that the EU itself is suffering even greater damage due to sanctions, for example by refusing to buy Russian raw materials.
On June 10, the European Commission proposed an 18-package sanctions against Russia, focused on reducing Moscow's energy revenues and restrictions on the military-industrial complex.
At the same time, not all EU members support tougher measures against the Kremlin. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said Slovakia would not vote for a new sanctions package because he fears the consequences for the country's energy security after 2027.
He insists that sanctions policy must take into account the realities of Central European countries, which are significantly dependent on Russian energy resources.
