Zero-Hedge: What Russians Think Of Western Sanctions
Submitted by Vineyard of the Saker,
I parse the Russian media (corporate and social) on a daily basis and I am always amazed at the completely different way the issue of western sanctions is discussed. I think that it is important and useful for me to share this with those of you who do not speak Russian.
First, nobody in Russia believes that the sanctions will be lifted. Nobody. Of course, all the Russian politicians say that sanctions are wrong and not conducive to progress, but these are statements for external consumption. In interviews for the Russian media or on talk shows, there is a consensus that sanctions will never be lifted no matter what Russia does.
WNU Editor: I have been saying the same thing in this blog since last year.
1 comment:
WNU,
I've been thinking (a hazard for me at best of times) about Putin's view of the world and how he might be trying to position Russia for the near and far term. If Putin believed that the real physical/military threat to Russia came from the south and radical Islam, that the US and EU were economic threats only and soon to recede from the scene, then his actions take on a different light. Perhaps in his judgement the EU will soon collapse from a rotten economic structure and become irrelevant while the US can only threaten with giving or withholding money, so cut as much dependence on those two as he can (which means sanctions are no big deal) strengthen economic ties to China, whip the military into shape, establish territorial buffers around Russia, and reengage diplomatically, militarily, etc in the Middle East. I have to consider this some more.
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