Anti-Russian sanctions do not reflect the realities of global politics and the economy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday at a meeting with representatives of the metal industry.

“I have already said that these decisions were made by Western countries for the sake of political interests – the current, opportunistic ones that do not reflect the realities either in global politics or the global economy,” he said.

Putin added that western politicians who imposed sanctions against Russia simply “threw away” the principles of the WTO. “[Western] politicians are not interested in ordinary citizens’ diminishing well-being and quality of life, particularly in Europe. Not to mention such things as adherence to the principles of the World Trade Organization – they were simply thrown away,” Putin said.

In general, Russian metal companies continue to face restrictions on foreign markets, Putin added.

Source: Agencies