Why sanctions on Russia should be strengthened?

Unprecedented and severe sanctions had been imposed on Russian Federation. That’s true. Unprecedented. And severe.

But if you compare the consequences of sanctions to the disasters Russians brought to Ukraine, you will see just ‘temporal inconveniences’ Russian people face compared to afflictions Ukrainians have to pass through these days.

The West should change the benchmark for measuring the adequacy of sanctions imposed. One should take devastations Russian people create in Ukraine for measuring sufficiency of sanctioning steps.

Ukrainian economy will fall by 1/3 in best case, Russian economy will drop by up to 10% in worst case. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians die under Russian bombs while Russian people keep demanding more ‘denazification’. Millions left their homes and thousands experience forceful deportation to Russia. While Russian people ‘suffer’ only from higher prices and some extra unemployment.

And this war is not sole responsibility of Vladimir Putin. 83% of Russians support war in Ukraine and 69% of Russian people believe Russia is moving in ‘right direction’.

Russian people should taste the consequences of their support for aggression symmetrically!!! At least in economic realm.

Dmytro Boyarchuk, CASE Україна Executive Director

The project is funded by the International Solidarity Fund (www.polskapomoc.gov.pl) within the framework of the Polish Development Cooperation Program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland (www.polishaid.gov.pl).

The publication expresses the author’s opinion only and can not be taken to reflect the official position of the International Solidarity Fund or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.