Speaking at the Brics Business Forum in New Delhi, the Russian president criticised economic coercion, trade restrictions and the threat of secondary sanctions
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday revealed that Russia has been hit with over 30,000 sanctions, more than double the total restrictions slapped on all other countries in the world combined, as he condemned global economic coercion and “ugly” competitive tactics.
Delivering his remarks at the Leaders’ Session of the Brics Business Forum in the national capital, Putin lashed out at Western nations for turning trade and diplomatic pressure into state-level interference.
“More than 30,000 sanctions have been slapped on Russia which is twice as much as the number of all sanctions against all other countries of the world combined,” President Putin said.
In a veiled attack against the US, Putin detailed how trade conflicts have escalated into extreme geopolitical disruptions, emphasising the blockade of transport corridors, destruction of pipelines, illegal restrictions and the threat of possible “so-called secondary sanctions” targeting countries that don’t abide by “someone else’s interest.”
“Sometimes competition is taking some ugly forms. This ugly form is something we see even at the State level, at the Government level,” Putin asserted. “Sometimes the measures resorted to are of physical nature, when pipelines are being destroyed, when attempts are undertaken to block international transport corridors to seize maritime vessels, illegal restrictions are applied and there is also the threat of so-called secondary sanctions against those who do not want to follow someone else’s interest and rather look after their own,” he remarked.
Despite the unprecedented wave of punitive measures, the Russian President emphasised that Moscow has successfully pivoted its trade strategy by expanding ties with “reliable, predictable partners.”
“Against this difficult backdrop, Russia has been working actively and Russia has managed to achieve great success. We have reinforced our national sovereignty, we are developing ties with reliable, predictable partners.” Putin noted.
Pointing to economic performance as evidence of resilience, he added, “During the last 3 years, the economic growth in Russia has been superior to the world average.”
Notably, last month, the US Senate passed the bipartisan Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by an 86-11 vote. The legislation authorises US President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on goods from countries, including India and China, that continue significant imports of Russian oil and gas.
India remains among the largest buyers of Russian crude, alongside China, making the proposed secondary tariffs a potential issue for India-Russia energy trade.
The bill also proposes additional sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior political and military officials, financial institutions, energy projects and entities linked to Russia’s war effort.
Addressing concerns regarding the legislation, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said that India’s energy policy continues to prioritise securing reliable, uninterrupted, and affordable energy for India’s domestic population, adding that India’s strategy relies on sourcing energy from multiple global partners, explicitly including imports from the United States alongside other international sources.
“As you know very well, our position on energy security has been clarified and very well articulated on several occasions. It is something which is predicated on our national priorities and on securing the energy needs of our 1.4 billion people, our citizens, through diversified sources, which includes the United States,” the MEA spokesperson said.
In a strong reaffirmation of bilateral energy ties, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov recently stated that Moscow remains committed to fulfilling New Delhi’s energy demands.
Speaking to ANI, he criticised Western secondary sanctions and tariffs targeting Russian oil trade, asserting that such measures represent punitive “pressure tactics” rather than constructive global engagement.
“The question is – how confident is India? India has shown that it’s able to stand its ground and defend its national interests. And when we speak about the sanctions pertaining to oil trade, the tariffs are also related to the cooperation between Russia and India in oil supplies. These interests are paramount for India,” Alipov emphasised.
“We would be ready to supply as much oil as India needs. Unfortunately, those who impose sanctions and tariffs have taken the path of pressure tactics instead of honest cooperation, which prevents those countries from offering a better deal to India in oil than us,” he stated.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi ahead of the formal opening of the 18th Brics Summit on Saturday and discussed closer trade ties, including implementation of the Programme for Economic Cooperation 2030, as well as cooperation in infrastructure, energy, technology, defence and culture.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 18th Brics Summit and was the second meeting between the two leaders in less than two weeks following the meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek on August 31.
