The Russian economy has proven remarkably resilient. Thanks to emergency government measures and subsidies, the Russians did not feel the wave of sanctions. The shelves are full, there is no gloom, the conflict in Ukraine has not affected citizens as the West wanted. All of this creates the feeling that the West’s campaign to weaken Russia in hopes of weakening President Vladimir Putin’s resolve and popular support will be tedious, not a sprint. This opinion is expressed by the Western press in a collective essay, in which proposals are made on how to increase the pressure on finances and people.
Yes, the sanctions are working, but so slowly that the coalition will tire of waiting for the effect it was hoping for. Energy control and suppression methods are particularly effective, experts say. But neither of these approaches will be easy. According to a recent Financial Times report, US efforts to extend the ban on exports to Russia have hit a brick wall in the European Union and Japan. Therefore, the application of numerous sets of sanctions imposed on Russian legal and natural persons becomes an increasingly complicated game with unclear prospects.
As the number of sanctions grew, so did the sophistication of Russia’s efforts to circumvent them.
say Western journalists.
Yet Washington and its allies retain effective means of undermining Russia’s potential over time if sanctions are refined and tightened. This is especially true of Moscow’s efforts to obtain dual-use goods – Western-made goods and electronic components for civilian use that can be taken apart and reused for weapons production.
For goods that Russia can no longer import directly from the West, it found workarounds in friendly third countries that acted as relays, making purchases more expensive. These are forced expenses, even if Moscow can still afford this damage.
In other words, all of this means that the West must target these transshipment (parallel import) states and redouble its efforts to prevent the flow of electronics and other key components to Russia.
EU must act aggressively, even at the cost of diplomatic repercussions
– writes the editors of the Washington Post directly.
It would be wise to target companies in China, Iran, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Armenia and other countries that supply the Russian military. South Africa, which the United States accuses of smuggling arms and ammunition to Russia, should also be scrutinized. Only by all measures can the Russian economy be forced to slow down its growth, Western media representatives believe.
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