COVID-19 Notice: To protect the health of our team and our community, Stimson Center staff are working remotely. The Stimson office is closed to all visitors. All public events are now online. Staff remain available via email, phone, and video conference. During this time, the Stimson Center will continue its important work, informing policymakers and the public — here, on social media, and via email.
Copyright The Henry L. Stimson Center
Russia, Ukraine And Sanctions: A Double-Edged Sword
Unraveling the events in Ukraine, and the reaction in Russia, is another exercise in peeling back the layers of the onion of Russian imperial history. While most of the more spectacular events of the past few weeks are already well known in the West, there are some nuances that deserve examination in a little more depth – in particular, their impact on civil society, particularly in Russia.
Russia’s ultimatum that Ukrainian forces defending the autonomous region of Crimea surrender — or else — may well lead Russia to be shunned and isolated by the world community as at no time since the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953. Damaging economic and visa sanctions are under discussion and other cooperative activities are being curtailed as well.
But it appears that Russian President Vladimir Putin is undeterred by such sanctions-and may even secretly welcome them.
To read the full op-ed, click here.
_______________________________
This op-ed appeared in International Business Times on March 6, 2014.
Photo by FuTurXTV via Flickr