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Russian President Vladimir Putin held an annual televised question-and-answer session with the Russian public on 15 June 2017 [Image:PPIO]
“Sanctions are a double-edged sword, it has also harmed those who have imposed them,” Putin said referring to the US Senate that voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday for new sanctions against Moscow.
Sanctions imposed against Russia by US and EU remain because western capitals accuse Moscow of meddling in the Ukraine conflict.
Russia-US ties are also in focus as investigations continue by the Department of Justice and congressional committees of whether Russia sought to influence the 2016 US elections to help elect Donald Trump.
Moscow claims these charges are baseless.
Russia and Western nations also find themselves on opposing sides of the Syrian civil war.
Western governments back rebel armed groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Moscow and other BRICS capitals insist that Assad should not be removed by external interference but the Syrian people must be allowed to choose their future.
However, militants belonging to the Islamic State in Syria are being targeted by both the West and Russia.
TBP
