The Russian authorities have confirmed the serious impact of the Western restrictions on the Russian economy with their demand to lift sanctions for unblocking Ukraine's ports. Mykhail Podolyak, advisor to the head of the Presidential Office, wrote this on Twitter.

"For three months, the Kremlin has been telling us that sanctions are a huge blessing and a gift for the economy. And now the Russian Foreign Ministry is demanding that sanctions be lifted for unblocking Ukrainian ports," Podolyak wrote.

According to him, the thesis of Russian propaganda that "sanctions only make us stronger" was completely destroyed by such a demand of the Russian diplomatic department.

"Why remove them (sanctions - ed.)? Things are going according to plan for Russia, aren't they, Mr. Rudenko?" said Podolyak, referring to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko.