Russian president Vladimir Putin admitted that EU and US sanctions "are severely harming Russia" and said they are "foolish and are merely harming both sides".
"What the European Union is doing with those sanctions is nothing but a theatre of the absurd,' he said in a interview with German tabloid Bild, published on Monday (11 January)
"The biggest harm is currently caused by the decline of the prices of energy," Enjoy access to all articles and 25 years of archives, comment and gift articles. Become a member for as low as €1,75 per week.To read this story, log in or subscribe