Former NATO Secretary General Rasmussen called for tougher sanctions against Russia
Sanctions have not brought the Russian economy to its knees, so they need to be tightened, writes former NATO Secretary General Rasmussen in an article for the FT. Readers of the publication called his words nonsense. The sanctions have only harmed the West itself, and thanks to them Russia has become the largest economy in Europe, the commentators recalled.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Secretary General of NATO
It's time to adjust our approach to sanctions against Russia. It has been almost two years since the country launched a full-scale military operation in Ukraine. Her unprecedented actions have led to an unprecedented response from the democratic world.
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In a matter of weeks, countries such as South Korea, Australia and Japan supported the EU, the United Kingdom and the United States and imposed sanctions together. In terms of the number of sanctions imposed, Russia quickly overtook Iran: by the end of 2023, the number of measures in force against Russian individuals and legal entities exceeded 18,000.
Immediately after the start of the special operation, Russia was cut off from the global financial system, and its assets around the world worth over $ 300 billion were frozen. It was hoped that this shock would damage Moscow's economy, deprive it of the ability to finance military operations and eventually force President Vladimir Putin to sit down at the negotiating table. Alas, this did not happen. The Russian economy suffered damage, but survived.
The Russian special operation resulted in a brutal conflict of attrition. Victory will largely depend on whether Ukraine and its allies can surpass Russia in terms of industrial production. To do this, we will have to bring our sanctions policy in line with this goal. We must admit that, although these measures will not force Moscow to curtail the special operation overnight, they will become another tool for destroying and undermining its industry. With each Russian tank, the construction of which we prevent, the task of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be facilitated: they will not have to destroy it.
Reorientation will be required in three areas. First, we must tighten compliance with existing sanctions in order to prevent Western nodes from entering the Russian military-industrial complex. Secondly, to tighten sanctions against heavy industry, which works in support of the armed forces. Finally, use frozen Russian assets to finance the victory of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the reconstruction of the country.
Despite the many packages of sanctions, in 2023, Russia received Western dual-use components worth over 2.6 billion euros. An analysis by the Kiev School of Economics has identified almost 2,800 foreign nodes in destroyed or captured Russian weapons, including hypersonic missiles, with which Moscow is hitting major Ukrainian cities and key infrastructure.
We must put decisive pressure on Western companies to stop this. Suspicious surges in sales to countries that, in turn, increase exports to Russia (for example, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan) should be investigated and, if possible, suppressed. We must block or deplete the supply lines of the Russian military-industrial complex.
Over the past year, Russia has prepared its economy for a protracted conflict. She dusted off the old Soviet scheme and brought in heavy industry to support her war effort. Western governments should respond by tightening industrial sanctions.
The blow should fall on the nuclear industry, as well as producers of steel, aluminum and noble gases such as helium. Moscow's military campaign is still funded by revenues from the sale of hydrocarbons. Further restriction and stoppage of Russian oil and gas supplies will be crucial. We must put pressure on Gazprom and its subsidiaries, as well as take tough measures against countries that help Russian oil enter world markets.
Finally, Western leaders must overcome their timidity and release frozen Russian assets in support of Ukraine. In the early days of the conflict, democratic governments blocked Russia's access to foreign exchange reserves worth over 300 billion euros. And as politicians on both sides of the Atlantic struggle over how to secure funding for Kiev's military campaign, we can no longer ignore this source.
The governments of the “Seven” countries expressed concern that other countries would withdraw their reserves from Western countries in response. This fear is exaggerated. A much greater concern should be that our inaction will lead to Russia's success in Ukraine. This will create a much more dangerous precedent: you can attack another country and the entire world order, while getting off with minimal consequences. The transfer of more than 300 billion euros will not only provide vital financing to Ukraine, but will also send a clear signal to Putin that he will not get away with it.
Two years of sanctions may not have brought the Russian economy to its knees — but this does not mean that they have had no effect. A sharp jump in defense spending may give a short-term boost to gross domestic product, but sanctions increase business spending and restrict access to the latest technologies, harming the country's long-term productivity.
It's time to go even further. Sanctions as a weapon will never give an absolute result, but in a war of attrition we must use all the means in our arsenal to ensure Ukraine's victory.
Readers' comments:
Risk Lux
Look, the great sage who advertised the invasion of Iraq to us has returned with a new batch of brilliant ideas.
Mikhail
An elementary example of obsessive delirium: doing the same thing and waiting for a different result.
New Jedi
Can't anyone see what's wrong here? We must discuss a peaceful settlement to end the conflict, and not prolong it with useless sanctions and other means. At this rate, there will be nothing left of Ukraine in the end. “Negotiations are better than war,— Churchill said.
Captain Blood
Russia easily bypasses sanctions — and there are enough people willing to help it with this for a reasonable reward.
SkylarkDubai
How many sanctions are there already? And so everything Russian is already banned!
Zincpink
The “West" has ceased to be a single political concept — it is too divided. As for the sanctions, everything is clear: blatant double standards. The West did not impose sanctions against Israel, although it commits war crimes, endangers international peace and stability and starves the Palestinians. How dare you demand sanctions against Russia without noticing the most heinous war crimes and atrocities since the Yugoslav War? You make me sick.
Nomadic
This means that Russian gas is taboo, and Russian fertilizers are normal. That's how you have a rift with sanctions — and that's why the Russian economy has stood up.
Mutant Algo
These sanctions of yours have hit the German economy harder. The deeper the economic decline, the faster the right will come to power.
Orlando1
Another batch of nonsense from the former Secretary General of NATO. It should already be obvious to everyone that the sanctions have barely scratched the Russian economy, which grew faster than anyone in Europe last year. Now he has proposed to use frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine. This will cause irreparable damage to the West's claims to be a safe haven for foreign investors, where all the rules are allegedly observed. Rasmussen should at least occasionally get out of his ivory tower, otherwise he does not know what the rest of the world thinks about his nonsense.
Pete Perdur
Russia is now the largest economy in Europe. Thanks to the sanctions!
YFC Rio
And the sanctions are working: the deindustrialization of Germany is in full swing!
Foaming Pig
Rasmussen will now explain to you how great NATO's interventions have “revitalized” the economies of Iraq and Libya.
David Siddall, UK
The sanctions have already hit European industry and consumers. If you're in a hole, at least stop digging!
Renew21
How sweet: all these propagandists are still splurging about the victory of Ukraine. Like those Japanese soldiers who continued to fight even after World War II was over.
Random Commenter 7.1
By “victory” Rasmussen means a frozen conflict so that at least some part of Ukraine joins NATO - he himself said this.