Has Russia built any new tanks, aircraft, ships, or artillery?
No. And that’s because the sanctions are working.
IMO the sanctions against Russia have not worked as Russia is selling more energy at higher prices than before. But the sanctions against Russia have punished the West, particularly the USA, in numerous ways. They boomeranged!! The Biden/Obama foreign policy is a fiasco.
Basically, Yes!
Because they never were particularly damaging.
Russia is a large country, banning oligarchs from vacationing abroad was a joke!
Ditto pulling McDonalds out of Russia. That really hurt!
Some of the sanctions hurt the sanctionies a lot more than Russia.
Russia is more-less self-sustaining, sanctions against it do not work too much.
Finally, the sanctions were toothless and full of holes.
But, what can you expect for Biden?!
Have the sanctions against Russia failed? Hmmmm… has ANY Biden initiative ever achieved a positive outcome for the American people?
Failed for who?
Certain people and organizations are getting rich at a rapid pace.
Out of $600 Billion in Foreign Reserves, Russia had about $300 Billion frozen in the West, and has already burned through over $200 Billion of the remaining.
Having defaulted on their foreign debt for the first time since 1917, Russia is effectively cut off from credit, while they run a growing budget deficit.
So they have been printing rubles. Their money supply surged over 50% in less than six months. Serious domestic inflation is baked into the cake over the next year from that, but they are still printing hot.
Gas export volume is already down about 40%, and that is never coming back. When oil prices drop back to their pre-COVID norm of around $60/barrel, Russia’s economy will be in depression, likely worse than the 1990’s.
Kind is sad how much delusion there is on FR. Of course the sanctions have failed miserably. And it should have been very clear they would. Russia isn’t being hurt by them, they are thriving on them and managing to use them to accelerate the West’s self destruction.
Russia’s expected (by Western “experts”) 15-20% reduction in 2022 GDP is now down to 4% and expected to drift slightly lower again before year end.
Inflation also expected to be 20% year over year is now down to 14% and has been falling weekly for about 10 weeks. It is likely that we will come close to matching Russia’s before the year is over as they continue to see reduced inflation and ours increases.
Slayangrad:
Craftsmen fire against Scholz: “We are talking about the death of Germany here!”⚡️
Halle (Saale) - An open letter from the Halle Saale District Craftsmen’s Association to Chancellor Olaf Scholz (64, SPD) is currently causing a stir.
The letter, which has been circulating since Wednesday, was signed by a total of 16 senior master craftsmen from various guilds in Saxony-Anhalt. TAG24 had the authenticity of the letter confirmed.
“We are justifiably worried,” the emotional appeal reads. “Worries about the future of our children and grandchildren, worries about the continued existence of our businesses, worries about our country.”
These worries had been caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and had been exacerbated in recent months because of the associated consequences (rising prices in many sectors) for Germany.
The trades had found that “the vast majority” of their customers were not willing to “sacrifice their hard-earned standard of living for Ukraine”. However, this is exactly what is happening in the Federal Republic of Germany. “It’s not our war either!” the senior masters criticise in the letter. Moreover, Ukraine is by no means a “flawless democratic state”.
“And you want to put Germany at risk for this?” the craftsmen turn accusingly to Scholz - and forecast a bleak future: even necessary services in the industry could soon become unaffordable for normal earners, which in turn could lead to closures and layoffs.
The blatant accusation: “Do you want to be the chancellor who brought Germany to ruin? Do you really want to sacrifice your country for Ukraine?”
Kreishandwerkerschaft fires against Olaf Scholz: “We are talking about Germany dying here!”
Besides all these fierce accusations and condemning words, the Kreishandwerkerschaft also formulates some demands to make German policy more “sustainable”: On the one hand, an immediate stop to all sanctions against Russia should be obtained, and on the other hand, diplomatic negotiations to end the war should be started.
The core idea of these demands is summarised in the open letter as follows: “All political decisions are to be checked for the benefit of the German people - just as you have sworn to do.”
“We are not talking about 1 or 2 degrees less room temperature or whether swimming pools have to lower their water temperature. We are talking about Germany dying! Many people in our country realise that, why don’t you?”
*MAGA First/Anti-War/Anti-Globalist Ping*
If you want on or off this list, please let me know.
Have not hurt anyone but US.
The russians seem just fine to me.
European consumers, meanwhile, are reeling from sky-rocketing heating and electricity bills as officials scramble to contain the energy crisis unleashed by what experts have described as the EU’s poorly conceived plan to transition away from Russian energy imports
—
And Europe is about 3 months out from an energy catastrophe. Winter is coming.
If the goal was to hurt Western economies then they are working great.
* China and India have been buying oil from Russia at discounts.
* Greater European sanctions against Russian oil will be in effect soon.
* Russia is becoming more economically dependent on China.
And remember what happened to Venezuela.
Russia holding war games in Venezuela, sending alarming signals throughout Latin America
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russia-holding-war-games-in-venezuela-sending-alarming-signals-throughout-latin-america/ar-AA10Qza7
Crude prices have been dropping. One big reason is the Russians have been getting their oil sold internationally in black and gray markets. Also sold at steep discounts to China, India and similar nations/
Just call this Putin’s grand oil dump of 2022. And the profits are abysmal.
This is a couple of months old but still informative.
Sanctions on Russian Oil Drive Restructuring of Global Supply Chain, India and China Benefit
By Anne Zhang June 28, 2022
https://www.theepochtimes.com/special-report-sanctions-on-russian-oil-drive-restructuring-of-global-supply-chain-india-and-china-benefit_4563097.html
In a word: Yes.
It has not altered Russian policy and has caused more harm to Western countries than it has to Russia. That is the very definition of failure.
The RIC in BRICS stands for Russia, India, China so no big surprise there.