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Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has described economic sanctions imposed on the country as an “act of aggression” on the part of individual states and their unions.
Medvedev, who advises Vladimir Putin on national security matters and is among those subject to sanctions, said Russia had the right to defend itself within the framework of international law. Noone should doubt that it would use this right within the boundaries of what it “considers appropriate”, he said, in a message posted on Telegram.
Sanctions were aimed at weakening the Russian state and prompting uprising against the authorities, but such attempts would backfire, he said. Instead, sanctions would cause the public to rally around the current leadership, while deepening resentment towards those responsible for imposing sanctions, he added.
