Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned on Sunday that escalating European Union sanctions against Russia would inflict greater economic damage on Europe itself, as Moscow continues to reject what it calls “illegal” punitive measures.

“A Double-Edged Sword”

Responding to comments from European leaders—including French President Emmanuel Macron—that tightening sanctions would pressure Russia to negotiate an end to the war, Peskov said such efforts would be ineffective.

“Only logic and arguments can bring Russia to the negotiating table,” he said in a state television interview. “The tougher the sanctions package—and I repeat, we consider them illegal—the stronger the reaction. This is a double-edged sword.”

Pavel Zarubin, chief Kremlin correspondent for Russian state TV, echoed the sentiment, saying he expected additional EU sanctions, but insisted that Russia had significantly increased its resilience to such measures.

Putin: Sanctions Harm Europe More Than Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin reinforced the Kremlin’s stance on Friday, stating that additional EU sanctions would hurt Europe more than Russia.

Putin highlighted that Russia’s economy grew by 4.3% in 2024, outpacing the eurozone’s modest 0.9% growth. He framed the sanctions as counterproductive, arguing that they fail to achieve their intended political goals.

Background: Sanctions and Resistance

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Western countries imposed sweeping sanctions targeting key sectors of the Russian economy, including energy, finance, and defense.

Despite an initial contraction in 2022, Russia’s economy rebounded in 2023 and 2024, with growth surpassing that of many EU nations, according to official figures.

On June 10, the European Commission proposed a new package of sanctions aimed at curbing Russia’s energy revenues and restricting its financial and military sectors. However, the United States has so far refrained from significantly tightening its own sanctions.