“The new sanctions they will not affect the Russian economy,” the Russian president said today Vladimir Putin. It is recalled that on October 22, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil, as well as a number of their subsidiaries, calling on Moscow to immediately agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Also, Putin said about the reports about his meeting with the American president Donald Trumpthat the US suggested Budapest as a meeting place. “The summit must be prepared,” he noted and added that “Russia wants the dialogue to continue. Trump probably meant the meeting was postponed. Dialogue is always better than war.”

It is recalled that the American president let out his anger yesterday towards his Russian counterpart, saying that he canceled the planned meeting in Budapest because he did not feel it would lead “to where we need to go”, that his discussions with him have led “nowhere” and announcing new sanctionswhich he described as “huge,” to Russian energy groups to force what he hopes will be Moscow’s end to the war in Ukraine.

“The new US sanctions are an attempt to put pressure on Russia. No self-respecting country ever does anything under duress. Sanctions are a hostile act that does not strengthen Russian-American relations. Russia and Saudi Arabia sell more oil than they consume, unlike the US,” Putin stressed. “Russia’s contribution to the global energy balance is very important/ Replacing Russian oil on the world market will take time. A sharp decrease in the amount of Russian oil on the market will lead to an increase in prices.” “Russia feels safe and stable,” the Russian president said, referring to the energy sector.

The Russian president also said he discussed with Trump the impact of the reduction in Russian oil supplies on international markets, including the US. “Russia and the US have many areas for cooperation”

Moscow’s response would be “overwhelming” to a potential attack with Tomahawk – or other long-range missiles – deep inside Russian territory, Putin said. Speaking to reporters, the Kremlin strongman said that “if such weapons are used to hit Russian territory, the response will be very serious, if not overwhelming. Let them think this through.”