Like the idea that we’re fucking Russia by fucking with their lubricants
Spanner, aka wrench.
*”This, after all, is how sanctions work. They begin with big-picture measures and are later improved as greater understanding emerges of how to ensure the target hurts. This is too often ignored by sanctions-don’t-work critics, who fail to grasp how the process gets better over time.”*
There is a reason Putin is amping up the meat waves regardless of Western aid debacle. The sanctions are working, and the evidence is clear they’ll only get worse.
The news agencies citing 2022 Russian economic figures and utilizing such for “the sanctions aren’t working” didn’t accurately factor in the fact that record energy exports PRIOR to the war cushioned the economic damages. Now that Russia cannot rely on such, these sanctions will only build.
The economy is 5% smaller than predicted, nearly 675,000 Russians fled in 2022 (a 71% increase from the previous 5 year average), the ruble lost over 20% of its value compared to the US dollar (December 2023 figure), energy revenues declined by 40%, Russia doubled their defense spending at the expense of pausing public salary increases, inflation rates shattering Russia’s goal of 4 percent to 7.5 percent, interest rates at or above 15%, and Russia’s National Wealth Fund steadily losing more and more (not to mention inaccessible funds due to frozen assets). [Source ](https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/sanctions-and-russias-war-limiting-putins-capabilities)
(Added note: The report talks about other factors contributing to these numbers as well.)
So, the real question isn’t whether the sanctions are working or not…the real question is, will the West continue providing aid for the sanctions to actually work?
I thought I heard that ball bearings were already being blocked.
7 comments
Like the idea that we’re fucking Russia by fucking with their lubricants
Spanner, aka wrench.
*”This, after all, is how sanctions work. They begin with big-picture measures and are later improved as greater understanding emerges of how to ensure the target hurts. This is too often ignored by sanctions-don’t-work critics, who fail to grasp how the process gets better over time.”*
There is a reason Putin is amping up the meat waves regardless of Western aid debacle. The sanctions are working, and the evidence is clear they’ll only get worse.
The news agencies citing 2022 Russian economic figures and utilizing such for “the sanctions aren’t working” didn’t accurately factor in the fact that record energy exports PRIOR to the war cushioned the economic damages. Now that Russia cannot rely on such, these sanctions will only build.
The economy is 5% smaller than predicted, nearly 675,000 Russians fled in 2022 (a 71% increase from the previous 5 year average), the ruble lost over 20% of its value compared to the US dollar (December 2023 figure), energy revenues declined by 40%, Russia doubled their defense spending at the expense of pausing public salary increases, inflation rates shattering Russia’s goal of 4 percent to 7.5 percent, interest rates at or above 15%, and Russia’s National Wealth Fund steadily losing more and more (not to mention inaccessible funds due to frozen assets). [Source ](https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/sanctions-and-russias-war-limiting-putins-capabilities)
(Added note: The report talks about other factors contributing to these numbers as well.)
So, the real question isn’t whether the sanctions are working or not…the real question is, will the West continue providing aid for the sanctions to actually work?
I thought I heard that ball bearings were already being blocked.
Great news though.
The dildo of consequences just got un-lubed…
All according to plan, naturally.
Even the Russian Kommersant, something like “The Economist” had:
“Growth held together with duct tape – How Russian companies are looking for replacements for irreplaceable equipment”
Funny (original) headline and a long read from December 28, 2023:
https://www.reddit.com/r/UkrainianConflict/comments/18tribr/gloomy_growth_held_together_with_duct_tape_how/