Moscow must target the economy of its “enemies” in response to the sanctions, Dmitry Medvedev said
File photo: Dmitry Medvedev © Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Moscow should retaliate as hard as it can against the West for its indiscriminate sanctions that hurt regular people, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Saturday.
The sweeping restrictions imposed on Russia go beyond targeting just “the authorities and businesses,” Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel. “They are directed at the whole Russian population.”
“The rationale is clear: the more Russian citizens suffer, the better it is for the Western world,” Medvedev, who currently serves as the deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, argued.
Medvedev suggested that Moscow should punish its adversaries by “creating various difficulties in the economy, stirring up public discontent over the foolish policies of the authorities in the West, and promoting international decisions that undermine the interests of the Western world.”
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On Friday, the US announced a new round of restrictions targeting 500 individuals and entities in Russia, citing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the death of jailed opposition activist and anti-corruption campaigner Alexey Navalny. The fresh sanctions are aimed at Russia’s defense and financial sectors.
The US Treasury also blacklisted the state-owned operator of the Mir payment system, which soared in popularity in Russia after the country was cut off from the SWIFT financial messaging network and the services of Visa and Mastercard.
Moscow has maintained that all sanctions against it are illegal and are aimed at destabilizing the country.
