Kremlin: West behaves like a bandit, the world is too big for US and Europe to isolate Russia
March 5, 2022, 2:31 pm

Kremlin: West behaves like a bandit, the world is too big for US and Europe to isolate Russia

Russian president Vladimir Putin (File photo: Facebook page)

The Swiss Info reported, citing Reuters, the Kremlin said on Saturday that the West was behaving like a bandit by cutting economic relations over the conflict in Ukraine but that Russia was far too big to be isolated as the world was much larger than just the United States and Europe.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the West was engaged in "economic banditry" against Russia and that Moscow would respond. He did not specify what response there would be but said it would be in line with Russian interests.

Peskov said: "As you understand, there must be a corresponding response to economic banditry."

"This does not mean Russia is isolated," Peskov told reporters, adding that "The world is too big for Europe and America to isolate a country, and even more so a country as big as Russia. There are many more countries in the world."

Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which it calls a "special military operation" aimed at disarming its neighbour, has triggered a barrage of sanctions and led to an exodus of big companies from the Russian market.

Peskov noted that channels for dialogue between Moscow and Washington still existed.

This is the basement area of the Municipal Perinatal Hospital in Kharkiv. Tiny newborns and older infants that are sick and need special care (File photo and text: Euromaidan Press)

He said that if the United States imposed sanctions on Russia's oil and gas exports then it would give a considerable jolt to world energy markets.

Asked about a law which President Vladimir Putin signed that stiffens punishments for discrediting the Russian armed forces, Peskov said such laws had to be obeyed.

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The law was introduced urgently in an extraordinary situation, he said, because Russia was facing an unprecedented information war unleashed by the West.

Foreign companies, he said, would one day return to Russia, although some would find others had taken their places.

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Peskov said: "Russia ... has an interest in being attractive for investment. Yes, now is hardly a time when we can talk about being attractive for investment, but times change quickly."

Source: swissinfo

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.