Are Russian Sanctions Working?

President Vladimir Putin says that Western sanctions aiming to cause panic and shortages among Russians have failed abysmally. A few Western-owned stores, like The Body Shop and L’Occitane, have notices posted on their doors that cite temporary closure, with no reason given. But many local franchises all seem to be working as usual. Russian life, at least around Moscow, looks shockingly normal. 

Opinion surveys show that almost 10% of Russians say they didn’t even know about the situation. “For the most part we are still living in our previous reality,” says Ivan Timofeev, a sanctions expert with the Russian International Affairs Council. “But at some point, we will begin transitioning to a new reality, and then it will be very hard to ignore the deep changes we shall have to make.” 

https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2022/0502/Sanctions-What-sanctions-Russians-aren-t-feeling-the-sting

By: Noah Hittie