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Does this really do anything? I read a decently insightful article in the Economist yesterday, claiming Putin's inner circle doesn't have anything to lose, as

Does this really do anything? I read a decently insightful article in the Economist yesterday, claiming Putin's inner circle doesn't have anything to lose, as they have all already been sanctioned by the Treasury: https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2022/02/19/alexander-gabuev-writes-from-moscow-on-why-vladimir-putin-and-his-entourage-want-war https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2022/02/19/alexander....

prozapari 5y ago
I don't have a subscription unfortunately so I can't read the full article, but even if US sanctions don't do much, there are tons of other countries sanctioning them now.
- sebmellen 5y ago
  The key part is as follows: > Why then are the people around Putin not scared about possible fallout from a new round of far-reaching economic sanctions? In their eyes, the sanctions that the West imposed to punish Russia for the annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbas were intended largely to check Russia’s rise. America and its allies would have found a way to introduce them one way or another, they were just looking for an excuse. > Since 2014 such views have solidified. Messrs Patrushev, Bortnikov and Naryshkin all find themselves on the US Treasury’s blacklist already, along with many other members of Mr Putin’s inner circle. There is no way back for them to the West’s creature comforts. They are destined to end their lives in Fortress Russia, with their assets and their relatives alongside them. From: https://archive.is/rHcmU https://archive.is/rHcmU
deutschewelle 5y ago
No since all of Russia can be declared his.... he could lose access to fiat USD/EUROs but his assets are good as gold: Gazprom,Rosneft etc
- tartoran 5y ago
  Yes but if the whole country goes through enough unnecesary hardship (Russians have a tough life) and his manupulative PR apparatus stops functioning he could start fearing for his life. Any of his thugs he’s surrounded by could at some point initiate a mutiny and eventually after failed attempts it could end his reign. Putin is bluffing big time too, he knows it. At the same time he achieved so much power and wealth that he may want to go for a different glory, he seems to want to revive a broken empire, broken in the sense that at some point Russia was looked up and now he’d need to coerce friends into an involuntary hug. Russia is so broken (not defending US, which is on the verge of catastastrophe too) that nobody wants to be their friend beside getting cheap gas. Cheap gas has been one thing to keep Russia from collapsing altogether though, it’s a bargaining chip but not really the best hand in the game
  - andy_ppp 5y ago
    If I’d have been talked to the way the spy chief was by Putin the other day I would definitely consider that my own personal safety was at risk.
    - gzer0 5y ago
      For reference, here is the exchange: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucEs0nBuowE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucEs0nBuowE
      - jacquesm 5y ago
        What a farce. But one takeaway is that Putin's support in his inner circle is waning.
    - tartoran 5y ago
      Yes, that was a terrifying display of the fear people have of Putin. It’s a double edged sword for sure and should not be confused for love. Let’s not talk about the perils of being surrounded by yes men.
  - deutschewelle 5y ago
tootie 5y ago
I think they do plenty. They're not going to make Putin order his troops to surrender. Nothing could do that. It will cause them irritation at the very least and hopefully diminish their capacity to cause trouble at least a bit. If they go buy 20 new tanks instead of 24 it did something even if it feels like nothing changed
shmobot 5y ago
Many of them have kids and other relatives in the West, living off their money. Releasing the information who they are and cutting them off can be the next step.

prozapari 5y ago

I don't have a subscription unfortunately so I can't read the full article, but even if US sanctions don't do much, there are tons of other countries sanctioning them now.

sebmellen 5y ago
The key part is as follows: > Why then are the people around Putin not scared about possible fallout from a new round of far-reaching economic sanctions? In their eyes, the sanctions that the West imposed to punish Russia for the annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbas were intended largely to check Russia’s rise. America and its allies would have found a way to introduce them one way or another, they were just looking for an excuse. > Since 2014 such views have solidified. Messrs Patrushev, Bortnikov and Naryshkin all find themselves on the US Treasury’s blacklist already, along with many other members of Mr Putin’s inner circle. There is no way back for them to the West’s creature comforts. They are destined to end their lives in Fortress Russia, with their assets and their relatives alongside them. From: https://archive.is/rHcmU https://archive.is/rHcmU

deutschewelle 5y ago

No since all of Russia can be declared his.... he could lose access to fiat USD/EUROs but his assets are good as gold: Gazprom,Rosneft etc

tartoran 5y ago
Yes but if the whole country goes through enough unnecesary hardship (Russians have a tough life) and his manupulative PR apparatus stops functioning he could start fearing for his life. Any of his thugs he’s surrounded by could at some point initiate a mutiny and eventually after failed attempts it could end his reign. Putin is bluffing big time too, he knows it. At the same time he achieved so much power and wealth that he may want to go for a different glory, he seems to want to revive a broken empire, broken in the sense that at some point Russia was looked up and now he’d need to coerce friends into an involuntary hug. Russia is so broken (not defending US, which is on the verge of catastastrophe too) that nobody wants to be their friend beside getting cheap gas. Cheap gas has been one thing to keep Russia from collapsing altogether though, it’s a bargaining chip but not really the best hand in the game
- andy_ppp 5y ago
  If I’d have been talked to the way the spy chief was by Putin the other day I would definitely consider that my own personal safety was at risk.
  - gzer0 5y ago
    For reference, here is the exchange: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucEs0nBuowE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucEs0nBuowE
    - jacquesm 5y ago
      What a farce. But one takeaway is that Putin's support in his inner circle is waning.
  - tartoran 5y ago
    Yes, that was a terrifying display of the fear people have of Putin. It’s a double edged sword for sure and should not be confused for love. Let’s not talk about the perils of being surrounded by yes men.
- deutschewelle 5y ago

tootie 5y ago

I think they do plenty. They're not going to make Putin order his troops to surrender. Nothing could do that. It will cause them irritation at the very least and hopefully diminish their capacity to cause trouble at least a bit. If they go buy 20 new tanks instead of 24 it did something even if it feels like nothing changed

shmobot 5y ago

Many of them have kids and other relatives in the West, living off their money. Releasing the information who they are and cutting them off can be the next step.