My curiosity revolved around Western global sanctions against Russia.
The goal of the sanctions was to hurt Russia economically, weaken Putin domestically, and ultimately change the outcome in Ukraine.
The Russian economy is larger than before the sanctions; the Ruble is stronger against the US Dollar than before; Vladimir Putin is more supported inside Russia than before, and most of the financial and economic systems under sanction have failed to yield a substantive difference on the ground in Russia.
How is this possible, when we are told the sanctions delivered hardship to Russia? The answer is simple; the sanctions didn't work.
On the ground, the sanctions are invisible because ordinary people in Europe, are not in alignment with the expressed government intent, and therefore have no issue constructing ways around them.
The procedure is sometimes called the EU's "Nuclear option" as it provides for the most serious political sanction the bloc can impose on a member country - the suspension of the right to vote on EU decisions.
Hungary is expanding one of its own atomic power stations with Moscow's help and populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has vowed to veto any sanctions that would hurt the industry, despite criticism from EU and Ukrainian officials alike.
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