The Kremlin insists that the EU planned 18th set of sanctions will not lead to a war against Ukraine.
“Only logical and rational arguments can bring Russia to the negotiating table,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state television on Sunday.
“It is impossible to force Russia to exert any pressure or violence.”
Peskov said he firmly believes that the new sanctions the EU sought will eventually be adopted despite Slovak opposition. But, he said, the stricter the punitive measures, the stronger the rebound against them.
Peskov said sanctions are a “double-edged sword.” Moscow often says that the EU itself will be subject to sanctions, for example, through Russian raw materials and energy.
It also evades restrictions with the help of other countries and greatly expands its weapons production.
The EU's Article 18 sanctions initially failed last Friday due to Slovak resistance. A new vote has been postponed indefinitely.
Peskov said Russia believes sanctions are illegal.
“Obviously, after nearly four years of development, we have built up some resistance. We have learned how to minimize the impact of such packages,” he said.
The EU's sanctions are primarily targeting the Russian economy and are designed to deprive the country of financial means to continue the war with Ukraine, which is the fourth year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the international community to strengthen sanctions, calling them an important tool to curb the Moscow war machine.
“Sanctions should be one of the most important priorities now – the world's sanctions on Russia,” Zelensky said in his evening video address on Sunday.
The speech came after a recent decree signed by him that aligns Ukraine's sanctions policy with international allies, including the EU and the Group of Major Democratic States. Zelensky also announced plans to impose EU sanctions on Iran.
Although the EU has failed to approve a new sanctions package against Russia, Zelensky calls for new efforts.
He said sanctions are “a chance to truly limit Russia’s strategic development, and its potential should even be more painfully limited to Russia’s ability to continue this war every day against our independence.”
