Moscow should retaliate as hard as it can against the West for its indiscriminate sanctions that hurt regular people, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Saturday.
The sweeping restrictions imposed on Russia go beyond targeting just “the authorities and businesses,” he wrote on Telegram. “They are directed at the whole Russian population.”
“The rationale is clear: the more Russian citizens suffer, the better it is for the Western world,” Medvedev, who currently serves as the deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, said.
We just need to remember this and exact revenge everywhere we can. They are our enemies.
Medvedev suggested that Moscow should punish its adversaries by “creating various difficulties in the economy, stirring up public discontent over the foolish policies of the authorities in the West, and promoting international decisions that undermine the interests of the Western world.”
On Friday, the US announced a new round of sanctions targeting 500 individuals and entities in Russia, citing the conflict with Ukraine and the death of jailed opposition activist Alexey Navalny. The new restrictions are aimed at Russia’s defense and financial sectors.
The US Treasury also blacklisted the state-owned operator of the Mir payment system, which soared in popularity in Russia after the country was cut off from the SWIFT financial messaging network and the services of Visa and Mastercard.
Moscow has maintained that all of the sanctions against it are illegal and are aimed at destabilizing the country.