Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed the latest US sanctions targeting Russia’s largest oil producers, saying they would not significantly impact the country’s economy, while warning of grave consequences if Western weapons are used to strike Russian territory.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Putin described the sanctions as “an attempt to put pressure on Moscow,” adding, “No self-respecting country ever does anything under pressure.”
Putin acknowledged the sanctions would have “certain consequences” but insisted they would not “significantly impact our economic well-being.” He called the measures “an unfriendly act” that would not help repair strained Russia-US ties, which he said had “only just begun to recover.”
The US on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Russia’s two biggest oil firms — Rosneft and Lukoil — in the first major punitive move against Moscow since President Donald Trump returned to office. The White House said the measures were intended to “limit Russia’s ability to finance its aggression.”
Putin revealed that he had warned Trump the sanctions could push up global oil prices, including in the US. He also noted that Trump’s first term saw “the largest number of sanctions ever imposed against Russia.”
Commenting on escalating tensions, Putin cautioned Washington against allowing Ukraine to use Tomahawk cruise missiles, saying any such strike on Russian territory would draw a “serious, if not overwhelming” response.
“If such weapons are used to strike Russian territory, the response will be very serious, if not overwhelming. Let them think about that,” he said.
The Russian leader reiterated his support for diplomacy despite Trump’s decision to postpone a planned summit between the two leaders that was set to take place in Budapest, Hungary.
“Dialogue is always better than confrontation, than disputes, or even more so than war,” Putin stressed. “That is why we have always supported the continuation of dialogue, and we continue to support it now.”
Trump, meanwhile, confirmed he had cancelled the Budapest meeting, saying he didn’t “want to have a wasted meeting,” but suggested talks could happen “in the future.”
At a separate meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump said he hoped “the war will be settled,” but lamented that his past discussions with Putin “just don’t go anywhere.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the new sanctions, calling them a move that would “weaken the Kremlin’s capacity to wage war.”
