Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated on Monday that his country's economy can resist the pressure it has been facing since the West has imposed sanctions on it amid Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters following the meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, Putin stressed the nation's economy is managing to withstand "all the difficulties [...] quite worthily" as "all the main macroeconomic indicators speak of this." He admitted, though, that such efforts require more work from local authorities. Putin also rebuffed the West's claims he is the one responsible for the sanctions.
Commenting on the sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus, Lukashenko said those measures pushed both countries to consolidate and focus more on their own economies. He also demanded Ukraine asked Moscow and Minsk to prevent the separation of western Ukraine.
