Putin admits negative impact of sanctions and guarantees that hybrid war with the West will last ‘a long time’

For the first time since the beginning of the conflict with Ukraine, the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, admitted that Western sanctions could negatively impact the Russian economy in the medium term. “The sanctions imposed on the Russian economy could really have a negative impact on it in the medium term,” the president said at a televised meeting with the government. The speech comes after he has boasted in recent months of the country’s ability to adapt to this new situation. On Wednesday, the Kremlin also stated that the hybrid war between Russia and Western powers will last for a long time. “If we talk about war in the broad sense, about confrontation with Western countries, this hybrid war, it will last a long time,” said spokesman Dmitri Peskov. More than a year after the start of the offensive in Ukraine“unemployment is at its lowest level”, at 3.6%, and “at the end of March, inflation will fall below 4%”, after having risen to almost 20% a year ago, detailed the Russian president .

“The return to a path of growth should not make us relax”, he added in his speech, in which he called for efforts to “guarantee the economic sovereignty of the Russia“. Putin launched an appeal to the government and businessmen to “ensure the rapid launch of new projects in manufacturing industries, particularly in high technology”, a sector affected by the departure of countless specialists abroad. “Our financial system must play an important role in responding to the needs of exporters. And we have to replace Western companies working in this sector, ”he stressed. “This does not mean that all problems are already solved,” he warned, addressing his cabinet members.