West expresses frustration by Russia sanctions

(MENAFN) According to the Washington Post editorial board, Western nations are increasingly disappointed with the lack of impact their sanctions have had on Russia. The article, published Saturday, echoed recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump, who questioned whether the sanctions were achieving their goals.

Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Western countries have imposed a vast array of sanctions aimed at crippling the Russian economy. However, Moscow maintains these efforts have failed, claiming the sanctions have caused more harm to the imposing nations themselves.

The Post acknowledged this, stating that the West's inability to significantly damage Russia’s economy has been one of the ongoing frustrations of the conflict. Despite the restrictions, Russia’s GDP grew by over 4% last year and is expected to continue growing in 2025, albeit at a slower pace.

Russia has managed to adapt by shifting its trade focus from the West to Asia, with China and India becoming its primary economic partners, the editorial noted.

President Trump recently admitted that while new U.S. sanctions might not be effective, they will move forward unless Russia and Ukraine agree to a peace deal soon. He shortened the previous 50-day negotiation window to just ten days, threatening extensive new penalties, including 100% tariffs and secondary sanctions on Russia’s trading allies.

Trump has appointed special envoy Steve Witkoff to travel to Moscow this week in an attempt to negotiate a ceasefire. Still, he conceded that Russia has become adept at circumventing sanctions.

Moscow has repeatedly dismissed the sanctions as unlawful and disruptive to global economic stability. The Kremlin sees the Ukraine war as a Western-led proxy conflict and argues that continued weapons shipments to Kiev are only prolonging the war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently shrugged off Trump’s new threats, saying Russia has built up a kind of “immunity” after years of dealing with such measures.

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