Pristayko also noted that sanctions still harm the Russian economy, and this, he said, encourages Russians to "move in the right direction."
“If Mr. Priestayko meant that Western sanctions are forcing Russia to move“ in the right direction ”- that Russia is beginning to develop its domestic potential and domestic market, then I can say that he is absolutely right. Western sanctions actually became the catalyst that forced us to rely, first of all, on our own resources, and develop it, which in the future will provide us with a breakthrough, ”Timofeeva emphasized.
According to her, in this context, Western sanctions can be interpreted as a positive point.
“Naturally, I understand that he didn’t mean it, but insists that the sanctions against the Russian Federation continue as a method of pressure and incorporating us into the politics that the West needs, he is deeply mistaken in this regard, this will not happen. As a sovereign state, we ourselves determine our future and our development, ”the senator explained.
Timofeeva added that Europe suffers more losses from restrictive measures than Russia.
“The latest meetings of 2019 with our foreign colleagues, representatives of the parliaments of various Western European countries confirm this thesis directly. Because during our meetings the theme is always being heard: the counter-sanctions introduced by Russia have a detrimental effect on the economies of European countries. First of all, there is a ruin of small and medium-sized businesses, which was focused on Russia, and, accordingly, this burden for Western countries is becoming largely unbearable, ”she concluded.
Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristayko, in an interview with the German newspaper Welt, said that it was difficult for the West to support anti-Russian sanctions.