Russian, Belarusian presidents hail Moscow's resilience to sanctions

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia's economy shows good resilience to sanctions, the country's President Vladimir Putin said on Monday.

Speaking at a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, Putin noted that the current situation and unprecedented restrictions, imposed on Russia due to the war in Ukraine, demand great efforts from the Russian government, but these efforts give a good result.

"Despite all difficulties, I would like to note that the Russian economy is withstanding the sanctions blow, it is withstanding very well. This is indicated by all the main macroeconomic indicators," he said.

He also noted that the transfer to payment in national currencies is also one of the success factors, among other things, that contributed to the strengthening of the ruble.

Lukashenko agreed with Putin, adding that sanctions forced Russia and Belarus to work harder and strengthen their economies.

The Belarusian president also noted that he would like to discuss the security issues as alleged NATO threat keeps growing on the Western borders of Russia and Belarus.

"We are concerned that they, Poles, NATO members, are ready to come out and take Western Ukraine, as it was before 1939. This worries us not only from the point of view of today's security. This is their strategy for Western Belarus as well. That's why we keep our eyes open," he said.

At least 3,838 people have been killed and 4,351 injured since the war began on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates. The true toll is believed to be much higher.

Nearly 6.5 million people have fled to other countries, while over 7.7 million people remain internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.​​​​​​​