March 14, 2022: -On Thursday, Russia’s foreign minister struck a defiant tone in the face of intensifying economic sanctions, which says that his country would recover from the crisis with a “full bill of health” and vowing never again to rely on Western partners. Sergey Lavrov told CNBC that Russia could handle its economy by itself as the pariah state becomes isolated by international powers seeking to deter President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Regarding our economic problems, we’ll sort them out,” Lavrov told CNBC in Turkey following his talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Lavrov is noting that Russia has, at various other points, handled periods of economic isolation and difficulty.

The longtime Russian minister further said that he was no longer under any illusion that the West could be trusted, which accuses it of betrayal.

“I assure you, We will come out of this crisis with a full bill of psychological health and a complete bill of health regarding our awareness. We will not be under the slightest illusion that the West could be a reliable partner,” Lavrov said through a translator.

“We will do everything so as never to be dependent on the West in those areas of our life which have a decisive huge for our people,” he said.

The Russian economy has come down to its knees in the two weeks since the start of the Ukraine war, as Western allies have sought economic means of pressure, Putin, to end the conflict.

This week, the Russian ruble continued to tumble lower, reaching fresh record lows between further financial exclusions, while trading on the Moscow stock exchange remains primarily suspended. The Western sanctions are intended to collapse Russia’s economy, and many economists suggest that they’re likely to work.

On Thursday, the Kremlin said the country’s economy was in “shock” due to an “unprecedented” economic war.

However, the pressure on Putin’s elite inner circle continues to heat up, with Britain on Thursday, which adds Chelsea soccer club owner Roman Abramovich and six different to a growing list of oligarchs facing asset seizures under U.K., EU, and U.S. sanctions.