Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who also leads the United Russia party's election list, says it's Russia's huge resource base and industry that have largely shielded it from Western sanctions, and don't forget that Russia has a long history of overcoming difficulties. "First of all, thanks to our ancestors who created such a country. People are talking a lot about it now," the foreign minister said in an interview with TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov. "The railroads that connect the entire country were being laid back then, as were many foundations of ferrous metallurgy. In our civilization, it is respect for those who created it, built cities, and defeated enemies," Lavrov stated.