Russian President Vladimir Putin remains unflappable despite mounting international pressure and threats of intensified sanctions, according to veteran diplomatic correspondent Steve Rosenberg of BBC’s World Service.
Rosenberg has covered Russia extensively over two decades. In a special report airing this week, she stressed how unmoved Moscow remains by warnings from Western governments such as the US, UK and EU that more severe economic measures may be imposed if Russia continues its current course in Ukraine and other contested regions.
Rosenberg noted that Putin has calculated that Russia can withstand even the strictest sanctions, and his messaging remains constant: Russia will resist Western pressure at all costs and defend national interests to their full extent.
This statement comes amid renewed tensions in Eastern Europe, where Russian forces have intensified operations near Ukraine’s border and provided covert support to separatist groups in Moldova and Georgia. According to Western intelligence reports, Russian military logistics have increased substantially, raising fears of an escalated conflict situation across multiple regions.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated this week that Washington is planning an unprecedented sanctions package against Russia should Moscow take any additional aggressive actions, targeting banks, energy exports and high-tech imports. European allies have made similar warnings, with German Chancellor Maria Bergfeld demanding “absolute unity and resolve” from EU governments.
Putin responded defiantly on Thursday during his state visit to Belarus by issuing a defiant statement declaring that Russia would not cave to external blackmail and will strengthen national security and defend ethnic Russians abroad.
“Russia has endured hardship before and will do so again,” President Vladimir Putin stated. “What matters most to us is safeguarding the sovereignty and future of our people.”
Rosenberg asserts that such rhetoric is part of a wider Kremlin strategy to depict Russia as besieged but resilient despite being targeted by Western powers, while painting Western powers as existential threats and painting Russia as beleaguered yet resilient powers. According to him, such propaganda continues to dominate state media outlets and gain ground with many members of domestic population.
“Propaganda plays an incredibly vital role in shaping public perception,” Rosenberg noted. “Many Russians believe that NATO and Western governments are working against them to weaken or destabilize Russia.”
Economists warn of Russia’s resilience. Sanctions imposed since 2022 have already had an adverse impact on key sectors, especially energy, aviation and technology. Meanwhile, its currency, the ruble has experienced periodic volatility while foreign investment has declined considerably; yet Russia’s economy has managed to remain relatively secure thanks to strengthened relationships with China, India and other non-Western markets.
Rosenberg noted that Putin is betting on a global realignment process to secure Russia’s future away from Western allegiances and into forging new economic and political alliances elsewhere.
As diplomatic efforts falter and tensions escalate, international observers are growing concerned that geopolitical divisions could harden into long-term impasses.
“Sanctions may slow him down, but they won’t stop him yet,” concluded Rosenberg.