Putin: West will not be able to cut Russia off from Western technologies despite sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin today acknowledged that Western sanctions against Russia have disrupted supply chains, but said they would not cut them off from technology.

Speaking via video link to leaders of the former Soviet republics attending an economic forum in Kyrgyzstan, Putin said Russia would continue to work to find substitutes for imported foreign products that would no longer be available in country, although this is not a “panacea for all afflictions”.

Russia has become increasingly isolated from the West since invading Ukraine three months ago, calling the invasion a “special military operation.” Dozens of companies have left the country permanently and unprecedented Western sanctions have hit its economy and businesses.

“Our businessmen are having problems, of course, especially in the areas of supply chains and transportation. But nonetheless, everything can be regulated, everything can be built in a new way,” Putin said.

“Not without losses at this stage, but it helps us along the way to become stronger. In any case, we are definitely gaining new skills, we are starting to focus our financial, financial and administrative resources on cutting-edge areas.”

Vladimir Putin also said that the withdrawal of some foreign companies from Russia could be for the better.

The Russian president admitted that Russia needs access to foreign technologies, adding: “We will not cut ourselves off from this, they want to put some pressure on us, but in the modern world this is simply unrealistic, impossible.”

He did not specify how Russia would find ways to gain access to Western components or software.

Apparently referring to the United States, he said that no “global gendarme” would be able to use sanctions to weaken countries such as Russia, China and many other countries that followed this as an independent policy.