OREANDA-NEWS Sanction pressure on big business will not affect the course of the Russian authorities. This was stated by Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, to RIA "Novosti". According to the official, businessmen cannot change the position of the country's leadership "one bit. In this situation, they have become "guiltless. The weak point of the sanctions, which are imposed by the West, is a lack of understanding of the worldview of the Russian people, Medvedev believes.

"If we talk about business, this is also a part of our society, and big business including - they are, as they say, guiltless. Let's ask ourselves a question: to what extent is anyone from big business capable of exerting any influence on the position of the country's leadership? I'm telling you directly: no, not at all," said the deputy head of the Security Council.

In his opinion, the Western sanctions are aimed at turning Russians against the president. However, according to Medvedev, in a difficult situation, people are ready to be "conductors of the state course. The official expressed confidence that restrictions do not divide, but bring people together.

Medvedev also spoke about the likelihood of the death penalty returning to Russia. This was brought up again after the country's withdrawal from the Council of Europe. According to the deputy chairman of the Security Council, there are no longer any international grounds for abolishing the death penalty. However, there is a legal position of the Constitutional Court to prohibit the use of this form of punishment. It may change, the politician said.

"Legal positions are also not eternal, if something changes in society, then these legal positions can also be revised," Medvedev concluded.