This article was originally published by Ethan Huff at Natual News. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is laughing at the West with its failed attempts to cripple Moscow with sanctions.

The only thing those sanctions have done, Putin said this week at the plenary session of the VTB “Russia is Calling!” Investment Forum is strengthening Russia, whose businesses are “adapting and thriving,” to quote one media report, with overall trade increasing, not decreasing.

“We often hear that those nations set the goal to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia in political, military, and economic spheres, including in terms of economics and technology” Putin stated, adding that “certain nations” have proven to be unreliable trade partners that have only tried to hurt Russia.

“They sought to drastically weaken our industry, finances, the service industry in our country, to create an insurmountable deficit of goods in our market, to destabilize the labor market, to degrade living standards for our citizens.”

Not only has Russia recovered from these attacks, but it has also since that time recreated its economy, adapting it to Western aggression – and business has never been better, Putin contends.

The logistics involved with international trade in this new paradigm has allowed Russian businesses to grow and expand their networks with other friendly partners. Overall, there has been a net benefit to Russia’s economy.

(Related: Did you know that Russia is considering launching an Oreshnik missile strike on the headquarters of Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev?)

A new BRICS trading currency to bypass the U.S. dollar

The threat to Western hegemony is palpable now that Russia is also forging ahead with plans to create an alternative trading currency to the U.S. dollar (Federal Reserve Note). Russia is kicking butt and taking names, it sounds like, while the West flounders.

Russia’s national financial infrastructure is undergoing some changes as well with increased efforts among the BRICS alliance to develop a new trading currency that is not controlled by deep state lunatics. Russia is busy identifying strategic partners and updating its legal framework to accommodate the coming changes.

Keep in mind that the West is still holding billions of dollars worth of Russian assets hostage, which is what predicated all these changes to begin with. The West apparently thought that Putin would just roll over and capitulate, but instead, he is fighting back.

The West continues to bully not only Russia but also its allies and trading partners, which are growing in number by the day. Dozens of countries expressed interest in joining BRICS this year with more applications coming in 2025.

There are also several European countries that continue to purchase affordable and abundant energy (natural gas and oil) from Russia, despite stern warnings out of Brussels that everyone must divest from Russia, or else.

The latest round of U.S. sanctions is aimed at Russia’s Gazprombank, which are unlikely to be a success – but they could cause a major energy crisis in Western Europe, especially now that the Nord Stream pipeline has been sabotaged and left inoperable.

“The West is bankrupt and weaponless,” wrote a commenter about the dismal state of affairs for dying Western civilization.

“Of course, NATO’s attempts to defeat Russia, or anyone else, have failed,” wrote another. “The world is far too smart to fall for spin-and-narrative oriented stories and machinations from NATO media, NATO diplomats, and NATO NGOs.”

“After spending $819.78 billion in Afghanistan over 20 years, and then running away from there in military transport planes, NATO was eager to try its luck again … this time with Russia.”

“Someone should remind Slow Joe that the ruble has forgotten to turn into rubble,” joked another. “And by the way, how is the railroad from the Pacific all the way to the Indian Ocean going?”

Will the Russia-Ukraine conflict crescendo with World War III? Find out more at WWIII.news.