if they really want to ban bitcoin, it shows how scared and weak they are and how real and strong Bitcoin is.
Not just that, but this is the limit of how far they can go stopping people to use such a thing which they can't have their hands-on...
This is freaking crazy how people are stopping people to use people's money...

I'm curious if this is actually a surprise for you, it seems like something that would be normal in a typical society.
Russia has been dabbling with bitcoin for a while, but keep in mind this is only the finance minister, and such a comment is expected of him.