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The expert discussion on the topic “The vicious circle of the sanctions: can Russia and the West surprise each other?” was held on the platform of the Valdai International Discussion Club on March 3, 2022. Deputy Director of the IMEMO, Corresponding Member of the RAS Sergey Afontsev took part in the event. 

He pointed out that the entire Russian financial system is facing a real threat of disconnection from the SWIFT. Speaking of the individual sectors of the economy, he added that it is too early to describe the dynamics in detail, but it is already clear that the sanctions will bring down all the precision microelectronic sphere and create great challenges in the transport sector.

Analyzing the general trends in sanctions pressure, Sergey Afontsev stressed the fact that sanctions are an economic tool for achieving political goals. “To understand how they will affect economically, we need to understand what kind of goals are set,” he said. Thus, according to the scientist, the USA is implementing a long-term strategy aimed at limiting the economic potential of Russia and its ability to achieve foreign policy and defense goals. If we consider sanctions as an element of the strategy, they do fulfill their tasks. If we talk about their ability to influence the situation in Ukraine, it should be admitted that they cannot.