Interfax: Western sanctions only united Russian society – Naryshkin

CHERKESSK. Oct 21 (Interfax) – The sanctions imposed by Western countries against Russia have united Russians, said State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin.

Speaking at a meeting with members of the Karachay-Cherkessia People’s Assembly on Tuesday, he said that Western partners have been putting pressure on Russia, in particular, by introducing a number of sanctions, including personal ones, which “runs counter to the spirit of democracy and parliamentarianism.”

However, the speaker said that, “Russia is not a country where such methods could achieve their result” that their proponents counted on. “The citizens of Russia have united,” Naryshkin said. And “not one serious politician will trade” in his country’s interests, he added.

The State Duma chairman added that even in the West, many representatives of business communities and cultural and scientific circles have opposed the sanctions policy.

He reassured that Russia will continue “working and making its case on various platforms,” including the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (PACE).