SOLNECHNOGORSK /Moscow Region/, July 29. /TASS/. Western countries, who have always wanted to subjugate Russia, have used "agreements" for this purpose in the past, but, having failed, they are now disappointed, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev told a forum during his lecture.

According to him, the West is now using Ukraine as a "battering ram" to destroy Russia without even hiding this fact.

Medvedev emphasized that the only way to preserve Russia is to come out of the special military operation victorious.

TASS has compiled the key statements by the Security Council Deputy Chairman.

Russia’s opponents have historically tried to undermine its statehood: "Our opponents have always attempted to destabilize our country, no matter what it may have been called at the time: Russian Empire, Soviet Union, and now, Russian Federation."

The reason why this keeps happening is their displeasure at the existence of such a big and powerful country: "They do not like our country. Such a large, strong, proud and independent country cannot be ordered around."

Western countries, who have always wanted to subjugate Russia, have used "agreements" for this purpose in the past: "There was a period of time when they apparently believed that they could, so to speak, come to an agreement with us, essentially subjugating us to their will in the process. I am mostly talking about Western countries. But they failed."

Their lack of success caused them "the most severe disappointment."

The West is now using Ukraine as a "battering ram" to destroy Russia without even hiding this fact: "They are using all the methods at their disposal, including conspicuously turning Ukraine into a battering ram to destroy Russia."

All the political forces in Russia share a common mission, which is to save the country: "I would like to tell this audience, which consists of representatives of different political forces, including my colleagues who lead political parties, that we all find ourselves sharing one common task now, which is to preserve our country."

The only way to do so is to ensure victory in the special military operation: "How can we preserve our country? The only way to make that happen is to come out of the special military operation victorious."

Russia is currently being tried on all fronts, especially in the economic sense: "Our country is essentially undergoing a test, in all senses that word implies, and our economy [too]."

The sanctions imposed against Russia are "extreme" in their number: "There is not a single country in the world, and indeed there has never been one in its history, to face this many sanctions, about thirty thousands in total."

Now, after the West has imposed thousands of sanctions on Moscow, it feels "political pressure from all sides.".