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Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized Western sanctions, calling them “stupidity” while claiming Moscow wants to create favorable conditions for European companies that continue operating in Russia.
Speaking to state propagandist Pavel Zarubin, Putin claimed Russia has “many friends in Europe” but said some companies had been forced to leave the Russian market under pressure from Western European governments.
“Some companies left under pressure from Western European governments, and our friends from those countries were almost in tears,” Putin said. “Some continue to operate, and we are trying to create appropriate, favorable conditions for them.”
Putin also complained about Western restrictions, saying that “banning everything that comes from Russia is stupidity.”
Foreign assets placed under Russian control
The remarks come as Russia has transferred the assets of several foreign companies to temporary state management.
In September, a decree signed by Putin covered assets linked to Swiss food giant Nestlé, US packaging manufacturer Aptar, German hypermarket chain Metro, French retailer Auchan, logistics company FM Logistic and Leroy Merlin’s former Russian business, now operating as Lemana PRO.
The Kremlin justified the measures by saying the companies were linked to countries it considers “unfriendly.” Russian officials accused those countries of actively participating in hostilities against Russia, including by striking economic infrastructure.
In mid-October, Russian assets belonging to French flooring manufacturer Tarkett were also placed under temporary Russian management.
Putin has recently made further claims about Ukraine and Russia’s shared history and expressed readiness to resume peace talks with Kyiv.
