Russia will withstand new EU sanctions and step up attacks on Ukraine, Medvedev says

The Russian economy will withstand the European Union’s new sanctions, and Moscow will also intensify its attacks on Ukraine. Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, currently deputy chairman of the Security Council, an advisory body to President Vladimir Putin, wrote this today on Telegram. Representatives of EU member states agreed today on the 18th package of sanctions against Russia, which mainly targets the energy and banking sectors.

"European fools have agreed on the 18th package of sanctions against our country," Medvedev said. He is known for his harsh language about the West and radical statements.

The former president said there was no point asking whether the 18th package would change Russia’s position, given that the previous 17 packages had failed to do so. He added that the Russian economy would certainly survive, and that attacks on Ukraine, including Kyiv, would continue with greater force.

In his comments, Medvedev attacked the Baltic republics, Finland, Germany and France, and also criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The Kremlin today called the European Union’s new sanctions illegal and said Russia had developed a degree of immunity to such measures.

The European Union is using sanctions to try to force Russia to halt its invasion of Ukraine, which it launched in February 2022, and agree to a ceasefire. While Ukraine has repeatedly agreed to an earlier US proposal for an unconditional ceasefire, Moscow has not.