Attempts by the West to put pressure on Russia because of the events in Ukraine are only complicating the settlement of the situation, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.
“Our partners should be well aware that attempts to put pressure on Russia with unilateral and illegitimate restrictive measures will not bring about a settlement, but rather impede the dialogue,” he said in an interview with Serbia’s Politika newspaper on the eve of his visit to Belgrade.
Putin expressed hope that the West “will realize the futility of attempts to blackmail Russia and remember what consequences discord between major nuclear powers could bring for strategic stability.” He also said he was ready for “constructive cooperation.”
According to the Russian president, it will be impossible to isolate Russia with sanctions, but “the economic health of Europe and the world can be seriously undermined.”
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