Putinโ Denounces Sanctions asโ ‘Discriminatory’ Before Beijing Visit
MOSCOW – โRussian President โVladimir Putin condemned Western sanctions as โข”discriminatory” and “illegitimate” on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, just โขdays before โคa planned trip to China.โ the remarks signal moscow’s increasing reliance on Beijing as it navigates escalating economic โpressure from โthe United States and its allies over the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The โขKremlin’s intensifying rhetoric arrives as Putin prepares โto meet with Chinese President Xi โขJinping and other leaders during a forum in Beijing focused on the Belt and Road Initiative.This trip underscores a deepening strategic partnership between Russiaโ and China, offering โขMoscow a crucial economic lifeline and a platform to challenge the Western-led international order. The sanctions, imposed in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, have โtargeted โkey sectors of โthe Russian economy, including energy, finance, and technology.
“Theseโ sanctions are of a discriminatoryโฃ nature, illegitimate from theโข point of view of international law,” Putin stated during a televised address. He further accused the โขWest of attemptingโ to “contain” โคRussia and hindering its growth.
Ukrainian President volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to Putin’s โฃstatements, notingโ they were “clear signals to โขthe United โStates, to Europe, andโ to โthe leaders who these days are in China and will โbe meeting with Putin,” according to a postโ on โคX (formerly Twitter). Zelenskyy’s comments โhighlightโฃ Kyiv’s concerns that Beijing may offer increased support to Moscow, potentially prolonging the conflict.
The sanctions have demonstrably impacted the Russian economy, though theโค extent remains a subject of debate.โข While Russia has managed โขto redirect some trade to countries โlike China and india, it โcontinues to face challenges in accessing key technologies andโ financial markets. The upcoming meeting โin Beijing will likely focus on expanding economic cooperation, including increased energy โtrade andโค infrastructure projects.