I don't want to say that sanctions are ridiculous and that we couldn't care less; these are not pleasant things... We find little joy in that, but there are no painful sensations. We have lived through tougher times.

Sanctions are a sign of irritation; they are not the instrument of serious policies.

The question of sanctions against Iran puts the cart before the horse. Sanctions are in no way the best, or the only, way to solve the problem.

We have no desire to continue a sanctions war, trading blows.

Attempts to settle crises by unilateral sanctions outside the framework of U.N. Security Council decisions threaten international peace and stability. Such attempts are counterproductive and contradict the norms and principles of international law.

Russia has done more than any other country to support the independent Ukrainian state, including for many years subsidising its economy through low energy prices.