The leading economies of Europe are experiencing “difficult times,” Russia’s president says
Russia has shown true resilience by not bowing to foreign pressure, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. He stated that Russia is a “self-sufficient country,” whose economy is growing despite the sanctions, while EU member states are living through “difficult times.”
The president made his remarks during a meeting with residents of Russia’s far eastern region of Chukotka. Among other things, Putin was asked about threats received by a local volunteer group that supports the country’s military amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
The president noted that Russians regularly receive threats from abroad, but “this doesn’t scare us.” He advised the EU to instead focus on their domestic issues.
“They should think about themselves, what they will eat tomorrow, what they will wear,” Putin said. “They all have a ton of problems that are incompatible with our problems.”
Even the leading economies of Europe are going through difficult times. We are growing and they are in decline… As it turns out, they are more dependent on us than we are dependent on them.