The West is seeking to foment unrest in Russia and shape public opinion against the country’s authorities, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
"Although, when it comes to general discussions of unilateral restrictions, the West always swears that its sanctions policy is never targeted at the civilian population, that is a lie. This is precisely what they are doing. I repeat: Their goal is to foment unrest and provoke the people to rise up against the government," the top Russian diplomat pointed out at a roundtable discussion on ways to resolve the Ukraine issue.
The West pursues the same policy towards many countries, he stressed. "However, this policy, aimed at undermining the Russian economy through sanctions and disrupting Russia’s social sphere, is bound to fail," Lavrov added. "Those with the relevant experience could see this clearly from the very beginning, and, now, I think it’s clear to everyone, including those who initiated the illegal sanctions regime," he said.
According to the foreign minister, Russia has demonstrated a high degree of adaptability to sanctions and the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to approach the 3% mark by the end of the year. "In contrast, Europe’s leading economies are on the decline. This is enough to understand who is suffering the most from sanctions, which were initiated and escalated primarily by Washington," Lavrov noted.
