Title: The Truth About Sanctions Against Russia | The National Interest
Headings: The Truth About Sanctions Against Russia
The Truth About Sanctions Against Russia
Western sanctions have failed to deliver a ‘devastating blow’ but they also seem here to stay.

Content: It has become obvious that, on the one hand, even Russia’s business partners in Europe cannot assist it in dealing with the sanctions. In the last months of 2015, the world saw how Germany wanted to have it both ways, attempting to continue implementing North Stream 2 while keeping the sanctions in place. Italy, deprived of natural gas from the South Stream after the crisis in relations between Russia and the West started in 2014, became frustrated by German actions, but to no avail. On the other hand, it is not clear how much support Moscow will receive from Beijing on various issues. Certainly, China might need Russian natural gas and oil, but how far can this cooperation go? Even in terms of expanding buyers for Russian energy resources, Moscow needs to diversify its partners in Asia—if China becomes the chief client in the region and cooperation with the Europeans decreases, will Beijing be able to dictate the terms of cooperation to Moscow? In Russian domestic policy, Western sanctions also increased pressure on the Kremlin to act on many fronts. For years, businessmen, officials and experts have been discussing the investments needed to modernize Russia’s energy sector. But with high oil prices there was no major incitement to modernize: why bother when profits are easy and high?