Ukrainian Institute for the Future -

The second set of American sanctions against Russia connected with the case of the poisoning of ex-GRU employee Sergei Skripal and his daughter Julia in Salisbury came into effect.

Are sanctions really a reliable weapon against our enemy? Iliya Kusa, the UIF expert on international politics and the Middle East issue, spoke about this.

The topic of sanctions in Ukraine is always perceived as if it is the tool that the West uses to confront Russia, including to protect Ukraine. But in fact, these allegations are based on the superficial discourse on sanctions. During the past 5 years there was no deep and serious analysis and discussion of sanctions against Russia, and this generated a rather simple view on what sanctions are, how they work, what forms of sanctions exist, and the like.

We need to initiate a debate: do we need sanctions? Do they serve our national interest? Were these decisions made with a glance to our interests or someone elseʼs (as in the case of the Americans)? What is our negotiating position? Do we want tougher sanctions or preservation of them?

First, we need a qualitative analysis of whether sanctions work at all and protect us from further escalation. Answers to these questions can help to make a major shift in our foreign policy.