---
title: "Almost Crying: Putin Publicly Acknowledges Impact of Western Sanctions on Russia"
description: "Vladimir Putin acknowledged the impact of Western sanctions and stated that European companies left the Russian market under pressure. This comes amid the transfer of foreign assets to temporary management."
date: 2026-10-25T14:22:27.235Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/putin-acknowledges-impact-of-sanctions-on-russia
tags: [vladimir-putin, sanctions, russia-economy, foreign-companies, kremlin]
author: "Andrey Kosynko"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Almost Crying: Putin Publicly Acknowledges Impact of Western Sanctions on Russia

![Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking at an official event with a serious expression.](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/25/putin-priznal-vliyanie-sanktsiy-na-rossiyu/putin-priznal-vliyanie-sanktsiy-na-rossiyu-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Vladimir Putin stated that European companies reluctantly left the Russian market under pressure from their governments.
- The Kremlin leader criticized Western sanctions, calling bans on everything Russian impractical.
- The assets of several major foreign companies, including Nestle, Metro, and Auchan, have come under the temporary management of Russian authorities.
- In mid-October, a similar measure affected the Russian assets of French manufacturer Tarkett.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin, during an interview with propagandist Pavel Zarubin, publicly addressed the topic of Western sanctions against the Russian Federation and acknowledged certain difficulties facing the Russian economy. According to him, foreign companies that left the market under pressure from Western European governments did so reluctantly, and some European partners allegedly almost cried due to the need to wind down their businesses.

### Statements on European Business and Sanctions Policy

In his speech, Putin noted that Russia retains many supporters and partners in Europe despite geopolitical tensions. The head of state emphasized that some foreign enterprises continue their operations in the Russian Federation, and the Russian authorities strive to create favorable working conditions for them. At the same time, he called the practice of introducing large-scale bans and restrictions on Russian goods and services erroneous and impractical.

Such statements were made against the backdrop of an ongoing process of transferring the Russian assets of a number of major foreign companies under temporary external management. Previously, relevant decisions affected such international brands as Switzerland's Nestle, American packaging manufacturer Aptar, German hypermarket chain Metro, French retailer Auchan, logistics group FM Logistic, and the 'Lemana PRO' DIY hypermarket chain, which previously operated under the Leroy Merlin brand.

### Context of Foreign Asset Seizures

The Kremlin argued that these measures were necessary to respond to the actions of states included in the official list of 'unfriendly' nations. The position of the Russian side is that these countries are actively involved in sanctions pressure and are damaging Russia's economic infrastructure. Another step in this direction was the introduction of temporary management regarding the Russian assets of the French company Tarkett, one of the world leaders in the production of floor coverings.

### Consequences and Further Developments

Experts note that regular statements by Russia's top leadership regarding sanctions and the fate of foreign business reflect the general trend of restructuring the national economy under severe trade restrictions. The process of nationalization and the transfer of foreign assets under temporary control demonstrates the authorities' desire to tighten control over key market sectors. Further developments will depend on the operational stability of the remaining foreign enterprises and response measures from Western regulators.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- ["Чуть не плакали": Путин признал влияние западных санкций на Россию](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ledve-plakali-putin-viznav-vpliv-zahidnih-1792937202.html) - The primary source (RBC-Ukraine) details Vladimir Putin's statements regarding sanctions and the transfer of foreign assets to temporary management.

## FAQ

### What exactly did Putin say about Western companies?

According to Putin, foreign companies left under pressure from Western European governments, and some partners from these countries 'almost cried'.

### Which foreign companies have come under temporary management?

The list includes Nestle, Aptar, Metro, Auchan, FM Logistic, 'Lemana PRO' (formerly Leroy Merlin), and flooring manufacturer Tarkett.

### How did the Kremlin explain the transfer of assets to temporary management?

The Kremlin stated that these companies are connected to unfriendly countries actively involved in economic confrontation and sanctions pressure against Russia.