Hrihory Mesezhnikov: Sanctions and military aid to Ukraine should expand

Hrihory Mesezhnikov

‘Any moves by individual states and international organizations to strengthen anti-Russian sanctions can help Ukraine defeat the enemy.’ The Russo-Ukrainian war began more than ten years ago. From the beginning, the West introduced anti-Russian sanctions and afterwards it has strengthened them. Why are they not achieving the expected result? A Newssky correspondent asked the president of the Institute of Civic Affairs in Slovakia, Hrihory Mesezhnikov to comment.

— As you know, anti-Russian sanctions have been in place for many years, but they seem ineffective…  

Russian aggression against Ukraine has been going on for more than ten years. A large-scale war began in February 2022, but before that, the aggression lasted eight years, a so-called low-intensity conflict. Russia annexed Crimea and sent its armed forces under the guise of some ‘vacationers’ to Donbas, where it provoked an uprising of some separatists. It was all organized by Russia.

Since then, Ukraine has been at war with a truly fierce enemy, which is trying to eliminate Ukrainian statehood and ultimately ensure that Ukrainians cease to exist as a separate nation.

The West imposed sanctions on Russia in 2014, but as it is known, they did not stop the Russian regime from pursuing an aggressive policy and, in the end, did not stop the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia took a bold and cruel step; it went to full-scale war with Ukraine.

Of course, the previously imposed sanctions, which lasted eight years, proved ineffective. The West has tightened the sanction regime, introducing stricter sanctions, particularly in certain sectors, against specific individuals, certain economic sectors, against the Russian military-industrial complex, etc. Of course, these sanctions are more effective than the previous ones.

— Unfortunately, Russia is successfully circumventing the restrictions. What to do?

Russia has adapted to these sanctions because it has a well-developed mechanism for circumventing these measures.

From the beginning, Russia began to present this mechanism as an import substitution program. This is a facade, and this is known, and the Ukrainian side has repeatedly confirmed this.

The weapons used by Russia contain components that are produced in states that formally supposedly comply with anti-Russian sanctions. We know that certain states help the Russian Federation circumvent sanctions. Some supply their products themselves in China and Iran. And some formally do not supply anything to Russia but re-export.

Strengthening sanctions and taking tougher measures against both Russia and the countries that help it — is necessary and important.

And in my opinion, currently the general discussion regarding the attitude towards Russia as an aggressor state that is waging a war to exhaust Ukraine and, since recently, not to intimidate but to eliminate the population of Ukraine. Therefore, the issue of strengthening sanctions should be included in the general agenda. That is, the supply of weapons to Ukraine should be strengthened, and permission should be granted for the use of Western weapons on the territory of Russia. Therefore, any movements of individual states and international organizations in the direction of strengthening anti-Russian sanctions can help Ukraine defeat the enemy.

Deputy Editor-in-Chief (Central Europe and Canada) and Project Manager at V5 Media, Maryna Kovalchuk, contributed.

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