In an interview for a newly published book, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed her view that the Western sanctions imposed against Russia in response to the war in Ukraine were not achieving the intended "economic impact," DW reports.
Baerbock stated that economic sanctions should ideally lead to economic consequences, but this outcome hasn't materialized due to the fundamental differences in how democracies and autocracies operate. The interview, conducted by journalist Stephan Lamby for his book "Ernstfall. Regieren in Zeiten des Krieges" (translated as "Emergency: Governing in Times of War"), explores Germany's governmental approach to the Ukraine conflict.
Baerbock emphasized that the application of rational decisions and measures, even through consensus among civilized governments, has proven inadequate in ending the ongoing war. Her statement underscores the complexities and challenges posed by international conflicts involving different political systems.
Baerbock's sentiments come at a time when the Russian economy has exhibited surprising resilience, despite the comprehensive economic sanctions imposed by Western nations in response to Russia's incursion into Ukraine. While the United States and the European Union have introduced substantial sanctions to curtail Russia's capacity to fund its military actions, Russia's economy has managed to avoid the predicted collapse.
Economists from Western countries point out that Russia's economic growth is largely attributed to its war-driven economy and the substantial uptick in the production of weaponry and ammunition. However, these experts assert that such growth is not sustainable in the long term.
In June, the European Union made the decision to implement further sanctions with the aim of closing the gaps that Russia had exploited to evade the restrictions. These new measures were specifically designed to counter the re-exportation of sensitive battlefield technology, including microchips, to Russia through intermediary countries.
In addition to discussing the impact of sanctions, Baerbock also criticized the German government for its delayed response in visiting Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. She highlighted that her visit to the war zone in Ukraine on May 10, 2022, marked the first instance of a government official undertaking such a trip, which occurred more than two months after Russia's invasion.
Baerbock underscored the significance of her visit in contrast to the earlier expressions of solidarity demonstrated by various European leaders who visited Ukraine sooner. Notably, even the leader of the German opposition, Friedrich Merz, visited Kyiv before Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who arrived over a month later.
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