Ukraine demands real sanctions: why the West does not punish Putin seriously

The limited nature of the sanctions of the West is intentional, says political analyst Samir Puri in the Politico column. And while such a play with Putin continues, Russia will continue to rich and fight. Although the overwhelming victory of Russian President Vladimir Putin was expected in the election (actually conditioned), his resistance to Western sanctions continues to be amazed.

The US and their allies understand that their measures can be strengthened - for example, the current price limit for Russian oil only limits exports to Europe. And yet in the winter of 2023 there were expectations that this policy could disrupt the Kremlin's military efforts. This is because history has already shown how the threat of dollar sanctions helped stop the invasion. In 1956, when the United Kingdom, France and Israel entered Egypt to regain the Suez Channel, the US President Duight D.

Eisenhower was indignant and threatened to deprive the pound of sterling US support if the old colonial states did not go immediately. America's allies listened to the threat. But although the dollar may still have an international economic advantage today, a recent improvement in Russia Disputes about Ukraine's allocation of a huge amount of $ 60 billion are ongoing. And the Russian economy protected from sanctions already helps it to avoid defeat in Ukraine.

As mentioned, the limited nature of the sanctions of the West is deliberate. The prolonged inflow of Russian hydrocarbons is considered by most international leaders as an important factor in the stability of the global energy market - and this view is tacitly accepted by the US and the EU.

However, this policy still has their opponents - not least President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who stands for a full embargo and criticizes various European firms that, in his opinion, help Russia and incite it.

In addition to undermining the US power through prolonged economic disintegration at the international level (for example, the Brix group), there are a number of convincing arguments in favor of why Russia's military efforts in Ukraine have withstood the flurry of restrictions from the West. Large-scale financial incentives for the Russian government during the Covid-19 pandemic, and then, in support of the war, paved the way to sustained economic growth and low unemployment.

The central bank of Russia has succeeded in supporting the ruble, thus holding back inflation. Russia's trade position also quickly returned to the strength after the initial shock associated with the closure or at least the collapse of its presence by Western firms and investors. In addition, strong exports - especially maritime exports of crude oil, which in 2023 increased to almost 3. 5 million barrels a day - supported by some European navigable companies, unfortunately Ukraine.

For example, according to the Global Witness investigation, a non -governmental organization that reports the operation of natural resources and corruption, by the amount of oil transported by it after the invasion, the Greek shipping company TMS Tankers is inferior only to the Sov -comflot - the largest Russian state. Although last year the TMS stated that it stopped transportation of Russian oil. Moreover, TMS is not alone.

She belonged to the magnate George Economy and was a network of seven Greek shipping companies, which was reportedly dominated by Russian oil in wartime. Although the transportation of Russian hydrocarbons is not a clear violation of Western sanctions (Greek firms deny it, although they are silent with the extent of their cooperation with Russia), the Government of Ukraine continues to emphasize that Kremlin financing is a serious problem.

Indeed, the National Agency of Ukraine for the Prevention of Corruption has specifically appealed to the economy 2022 to stop the supply of Russian exports. And after all, it included TMS Tankers, Thenamaris Ships Management, Minerva Marine and Dynacom Tankers Management - all Greek firms - on the list of "International Sponsors of War".

There will be no discovery that the funds that Russia continues to receive from oil and gas is rapidly redirected to the occupation of Eastern Ukraine and to financing the troops of Russia, which have recently succeeded in Donetsk region. Meanwhile, Zelensky's administration depletes its own resources faster than the hesitant event has time to replenish them.

The destructive isolationism of the American right, perhaps a cool approach of Europe to restraining Putin's imperialism and sanctions that annoyed but did not completely hinder the Kremlin - all this makes the expulsion of Russia from Donbass - and, of course, from Crimea - more and more unlikely. There is no doubt that the relative dead end of 2023 has now changed Russia's initiative.