Naryshkin admits partial lifting of economic pressure on Russia by the West

Western countries can both intensify and partially remove economic pressure on Russia, as everything depends on what Western capitals will be guided by. This statement was made by Sergei Naryshkin, director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), on January 28.

"I would say that it is not excluded that economic pressure against Russia will be intensified, as well as measures of economic aggression on the part of the Western bloc will be partially lifted," he said in a conversation with RIA Novosti.

Naryshkin stressed that the further development of events will depend on what exactly will be guided in the Western capitals - "based on Russophobia irrationality of their behavior or still will be guided by common sense and calculation."

In addition, he drew attention to the fact that the most zealous lobbyists of sanctions in the West recognize that the Russian economy has been able to adapt to the new conditions and is currently developing steadily. Naryshkin also recalled that the Western bloc "launched an aggressive economic policy" against the Russian side long before the special military operation.

"But the other question is how successfully they were able to realize all their dreams and all their plans to isolate Russia, to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. After all, even the most zealous lobbyists of the so-called sanctions policy, and in fact measures of economic aggression against our country, recognize that the Russian economy has adapted to the new conditions and is developing steadily," the SVR director summarized.

Earlier in the day, Naryshkin said that despite attempts by Western countries to damage the Russian economy in the future, they will not succeed in isolating Russia "neither in the political, nor in the informational, nor in the economic sense," as the countries of the Global South, as well as the countries of the global majority, realize their interest in continuing to develop international trade and trade operations with Russia.

Prior to that, on January 24, Maxim Chirkov, an associate professor at the Department of Economic Policy and Economic Measurements at GUU, in a conversation with Izvestia, noted that Russia's economic growth under sanctions is indeed impressive. This can be seen in the growth of trade turnover and strengthening of international economic interactions, which have now become much more stable compared to the period before the sanctions, he noted.

State Duma deputy Alexei Chepa said on January 9 that the growth of support for Moscow's positions in Europe is explained not by the pro-Russian sentiments of a number of parties, but by the severe economic consequences of breaking relations with the country. The politician noted that votes against the actions of the current Western leaders and in favor of economic recovery are in line with some of Russia's positions.

Western countries increased sanctions pressure on Russia after the start of the special operation to protect civilians in Donbass, which was announced on February 24, 2022.