The inability of sanctions to cripple Russia’s economy has been one of the most persistent frustrations in Western countries, The Washington Post reported.
According to the WP newspaper, Moscow has developed a network of new trading partners for oil and energy exports, with China and India being its principal customers.
"Russia’s economy actually grew by more than 4% last year," the Washington Post estimates.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans to impose more sanctions on Russia, India and China run counter to Washington’s intention to make a trade deal with Beijing, the newspaper added.
Earlier, Trump announced he planned to introduce sanctions on Russia.
