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Western sanctions aimed against ordinary Russians, not government — Medvedev

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev

24 March 2023 10:35 (UTC +04:00)

By imposing its anti-Russian sanctions, the West is obviously fighting against the country’s ordinary citizens, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said, APA reports citing TASS.

In an interview to Russian media, including TASS, and social network VKontakte users, Medvedev said the West is prompting Russians to buy goods at bloated prices, blocks their bank cards and restricts their international travel.

"That is why it is absolutely evident that the Western world is fighting with citizens of our country. The West hates our people, and everyone should understand that. It’s not about just some government officials <…> - they hate all of us, and we must never forgive this," he said.

Medvedev added that he was surprised "by the degree of cynicism," displayed by the West.

"They say: ‘We are punishing the Russian government. The president and the rest of his team should be sanctioned.’ Okay, I get it, they are free to do so. But, in reality, who is the true target of those sanctions? It’s the citizens of our country, with no direct involvement in politics and maybe even with contrasting opinions about the current events," the Russian official said.