The West is preparing new restrictions against Russia. Can sanctions stop the war?

Since 2022, the Russian Federation has become the most sanctioned country in the world. Yet the war has continued for over three years, and the Kremlin still retains the resources to fund its aggression. Why is this happening, and can sanctions be an effective tool to stop the aggressor? These questions were discussed in the Ekonomichna Pravda podcast with Tetiana Khutor, Head of the Institute of Legislative Ideas (ILI).

The conversation covered:

• the origins of the term “sanctions” and how it has evolved over time;

• how Russia is managing to withstand unprecedented sanctions pressure;

• whether Russia truly feels the impact of sanctions and what its economy reveals;

• why the full amount of frozen Russian assets remains unknown and how interest on these assets is handled;

• whether the EU’s 17 sanction packages can be considered weak, and what they might be lacking;

• what a truly “crippling” package of sanctions could look like — and what could actually scare the Kremlin;

• the role of tariffs and restrictions against third countries that continue trading with Russia;

• what consequences await countries that violate international sanctions;

• and why Ukraine’s own sanctions policy needs improvement, particularly regarding sanctions against its own citizens.