The United States and the collective West have essentially reached a dead end in the sanctions policy – there is almost nothing left for which anti-Russian restrictions could still be imposed. It may seem that Russia's options for answers have also been exhausted. However, in fact this is not the case – there is a whole set of measures that Russia can use against the West.The West continues to tighten and expand its sanctions policy against Russia.
And it's not just about the regularly adopted packages of European sanctions (10 have already been adopted, the 11th is being developed). And not in the restrictions imposed by the Americans on individuals and legal entities. We are also talking about various kinds of technical limitations that prevent Russia from protecting its interests.
So, the other day, the United States refused to issue visas to a number of members of the Russian delegation, which was supposed to take part in a meeting of the UN Open-ended Working Group on Security in Information and Communication Technologies. Moreover, according to the representative of Russia Irina Tyazhlova, they refused "unreasonably in a defiant form."
It would seem that the UN leadership should have reminded the United States that they should not abuse their capabilities as the host country of the place where the headquarters of the organization is located. However, Antonio Guterres only got off with a toothless statement. The United States constantly either detains or does not issue visas to Russian delegates. Therefore, Russia must respond to these technical sanctions, as well as to all others, independently. The question is how? There are such ways.
Precedents are not needed Of course, theoretically, it is possible not to react and focus on the positive things that sanctions bring to Russia.
"There would be no happiness, but misfortune helped. After all, this is a powerful step towards further sovereignization, to increase our economic and financial sovereignty," Vladimir Putin commented on the economic packages.
In some matters, the West is simply shooting itself in the foot. Restrictions on dollar transactions only undermine global confidence in the dollar as a single currency.
"If we look at export controls, the European Union says that they have banned supplies to Russia for 10 billion euros. This means that the European manufacturer will receive less of these 10 billion, which is losing the Russian market," Ivan Timofeev, program director of the RIAC, explains to the newspaper VZGLYAD.
You can also react through internal reinforcement. "We can respond through strengthening the economy, carrying out import substitution, creating channels for financial transactions with partners from friendly countries, establishing channels for importing goods for our modernization. That is, becoming stronger and adapting to restrictions," Ivan Timofeev continues.
However, at the same time, it is still necessary to react with actions against the initiators of sanctions. If the West sees that Russia is not responding, it will increase the intensity of sanctions, each time accepting more and more significant restrictions for Russia. "The new sanctions packages of the EU, the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK are quite impressive. There are also new export control measures that apply to several hundred product names. And new blocking financial sanctions against second-tier banks, narrowing the opportunities for dollar transactions of Russian exporters and importers. And much more," explains Ivan Timofeev.
Expediency and wrapper Actually, Russia is already responding to a number of sanctions symmetrically – for example, to personal sanctions against the United States with its own personal sanctions.
However, the problem is that it is not always possible to answer symmetrically. Russia's share in the global economy, trade turnover and finance is relatively small, and its sanctions will not be noticeable.
Therefore, most often the best answer will be asymmetric – and at the same time demonstrative.
One of these options has already been used – for example, when Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of Russia's participation in START-3. Thus, Moscow has shown that from now on it ties strategic stability to the Ukrainian issue, and also that it is ready to consider various options for protecting its national interests.
Another tactical response may be diplomatic nationalization. "It is necessary to respond with the seizure of property from Western embassies. You can defiantly select a Spaso house or a Czech house. The objects do not relate directly to embassies, and therefore diplomatic immunity does not apply to them. The proceeds from their sale or new lease should be sent to help our fighters and those who suffered from the fighting," Vadim Trukhachev, associate professor of the Russian State University, tells the newspaper VIEW.
Again, this decision may signal Moscow's readiness to minimize its diplomatic contacts with the West – which the United States does not want (which is why it does not declare Russia a sponsor of terrorism). Despite the conflict in Ukraine and the tales of "isolation", America needs cooperation with Russia – at least to fight terrorism and maintain the nonproliferation regime, not to mention the prospects associated with the US-Chinese and US-Iranian conflicts.
As for strategic asymmetric responses, there are many of them to be found. However, all of them must meet two key parameters.
First of all, it should not be done to the detriment of oneself. "One of the goals of Western sanctions is to provoke Moscow to take inappropriate actions, to take such retaliatory measures that could harm Russia itself. You should not give in to such provocations. It is necessary to respond thoughtfully so as not to freeze someone's ears out of spite," Elena Suponina, an international political scientist, explains to the newspaper VZGLYAD.
"Answers for the sake of answers, especially those that will hit our manufacturers, are not needed. The economic interests of our state and citizens should be at the forefront," Ivan Timofeev agrees.
That is why, in particular, it is necessary to carefully approach various initiatives to restrict the export of Russian goods to the West – as well as the ideas of various activists that it is necessary to immediately stop the sale of oil and gas to Europe (including through Ukrainian pipelines). Opponents of this idea remind us that the money received from these sales goes to support their own, as well as to fulfill social obligations to the Russian population.
Secondly, they must be properly presented. Not as a Russian revenge on the West, not as a Russian response to its provocations – in this case, a number of Moscow's steps will be limited only by its resources. Third countries will not join us, or even consider our actions, albeit justified, but still a provocation. No, Russia's actions should be positioned through the prism of global justice, not selfish revenge.
Through anti-colonialism and justice Some steps in this direction have already been taken.
So, since the second half of 2022, Russian leaders in their public speeches began to position the operation in Ukraine through the prism of not only Russian national interests, but also the global anti-colonial struggle. And as part of the anti-colonial struggle, we can now impose a number of sanctions against the West.
If we talk about domestic ones, then we can talk, for example, about copyright restrictions. "For example, it is worth starting with the question: how fair is it that license rights usually last about 40 years. We can assume that technological leadership and, accordingly, lag in the modern world can be two to three years, in some cases five to seven years. During this time, it is possible to create similar Western technologies completely independently. Therefore, when it comes to a longer copyright term, we must talk about unfair technological leadership and artificial inhibition of the development of non–Western countries," Dmitry Ofitser-Belsky, senior researcher at IMEMO RAS, tells the newspaper VIEW. – Therefore, Russia should consider a legislative ban on the term of license rights for more than five years.
Previously, the argument against this was the fear that Russian high-tech exports to Western countries would be blocked in response. However, this has already happened and we can assume that this problem has now been removed." And it is possible that a number of developing countries will take advantage of the Pandora's box opened by Moscow – after which the global technological dominance of the West may be dealt a serious blow.
From a foreign policy point of view, it is possible to launch the processes of creating alternative global institutions. "It is necessary to work with Non-Westerners in order to transfer the UN headquarters to another country. To begin with, at least to Switzerland, but it is better to go somewhere outside the Western world. And in general, the answer is the same – to build new institutions with Non-Western countries, leaving Europe and North America in isolation," says Vadim Trukhachev.
"If the West is so diligently squeezing us out of international institutions, then in some cases it is difficult for us to oppose anything against the non-issuance of visas to Russian UN staff, but we should take care of the formation of duplicate organizations based on BRICS and SCO. They will definitely not only be fairer, but will also meet the needs of the majority of humanity," says Dmitry Officers-Belsky.
Yes, this is a long process, but it will be supported by a number of developing countries primarily because it will fall into the prism of anti-colonialism and "global justice". Moscow actually suggests that they begin to dismantle the world institutions created by the conditional West for the West, and therefore insufficiently taking into account the interests of the East.
"We talk a lot about trying to make the world a fairer place. But in order for Western hegemony to cease to be a reality that determines the fate of so many peoples, it makes sense to revise the rules that were created by the West in its own interests," Dmitry Ofitserov-Belsky continues.
In fact, we may be talking about some kind of "normative decolonization" – and Russia does not have to constantly conduct this process. It is enough to launch it, create a number of precedents. And then a number of subjects of international relations who do not have enough powers within the framework of Western institutions of global governance (China, Iran, perhaps even India and Saudi Arabia) they will continue to do everything themselves.
Gevorg Mirzayan, Associate Professor of Finance University
