MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. It is the Western community, not Russia, that is attempting to lower a new Iron Curtain, President Vladimir Putin stated at the plenary session of the 23rd annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

"As for a new Iron Curtain -- well, it isn’t us. It is the Western community that is currently trying to lower this curtain. They are the ones doing it," he said.

The president said that the "Iron Curtain" is being built through sanctions against Russia. "How many sanctions are there? Several thousand against Russia, a ban on meetings with Russian representatives, an attempt to isolate Russia in international organizations. This is all an attempt to hang an Iron Curtain," Putin added.