U.S. Officials Frustrated That Sanctions Are Not Producing The Pain On Russia That Many Were Predicting

CNN: Russian sanctions slow to bite as US officials admit frustrations over pace of pain in Moscow 

Washington CNN — Senior US officials tell CNN they are disappointed US-led sanctions haven’t had a bigger impact so far on the Russian economy and are now predicting that the harshest effects probably won’t materialize until early next year at the earliest. 

The hope had been that the sanctions would quickly choke off Russia’s war machine in Ukraine, making it difficult for the Kremlin to sustain its efforts on the battlefield — and perhaps even turn public opinion against the invasion when day-to-day life in Russian society became uncomfortable.  

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WNU Editor: Since the start of the war I have been reading and watching continuous news reports that that sanctions are going to wreck the Russian economy. And now we have the above CNN report quoting US officials admitting that sanctions are not wrecking the Russian economy, but they are confident that it will in 2023. 

In the meantime the European economy is in a recession. The U.S. is technically in a recession. Inflation is very real, and there are now growing fears that the energy crisis in Europe is going to cause widespread unrest this winter. From my vantage point it looks like sanctions are hurting the West, not Russia. 

And as for the push by many in Washington to up the sanctions by designating Russia as a state sponsor of terror. Russian President Putin has made it very clear that such an announcement by the U.S. will be seen by the Kremlin as a declaration of war against Russia by Washington.