In the West, for reasons unknown to anyone, they still believe that Russia suffers greatly from sanctions.
As News Front reported earlier, on 20 August Navalny got sick during the flight and the plane was landed in Omsk on an emergency basis. He was taken to hospital, but was later transported to Germany. Later, in Berlin, it was reported that Navalny was allegedly poisoned with the poison of the “Beginner” group. The Russian government was responsible for what happened.
Although no evidence was presented, empty public statements were sufficient to introduce a new package of anti-Russian sanctions. But what will they give? This question is posed by journalist Eduard Steiner in a publication for Die Welt.
Steiner recalled how the European Union imposed sanctions because of the reunification of the Crimea with Russia in 2014. It is still claimed in the West that this measure puts pressure on Russia. The truth is that from 2014 to 2018, the sanctions cost Russia only 6% of GDP or 200 billion dollars, according to a Bloomberg analysis. Moreover, Russia’s economic growth declined as early as 2013, as the new investment model failed to take root and oil prices fell sharply in 2014, hitting the Russian national currency.
Western economies have paid a much higher price, writes Steiner. By 2016, the trade volume between the EU and Russia had fallen by 43%. This meant losses for European business, but allowed the Russian economy to fill the space available on the market. The people, on the other hand, were patient enough to reduce real incomes.
Countries such as Turkey and Switzerland, however, were able to benefit from the sanctions as they refused to join Western punitive measures.