Political expert Lilia Shevtsova commented on the new sanctions against Russia imposed by the United States. She claims that the geopolitical situation in the world is going to change in the near future due to the sanctions.
She claims that introducing those sanctions was like a surgery. As the result of this surgery, the USA got rid of a foreign body. After that, Washington is probably going to reset their foreign policy. However, nobody can definitely say what exactly this event is going to result in. But one thing is sure – something is definitely going to change in the world order, and this creates certain threats for Russia.
On the surface, everything is simple – the U.S. political establishment decided to put an end to Donald Trump’s liking for Russia and simultaneously punish Russian for interfering in America’s internal affairs. However, everything is much more complicated that it may seem.
At the same time, the situation creates a range of unpleasant moments for Russia. In particular, the sanctions of unprecedented scale indicate a change in America’s domestic and foreign policies. The “Russian factor” that turned Donald trump into a threat to America’s national security turned out to push the U.S. political elite to triggering inevitable events. Trump seemed to be obsessed with Russia, which is why the U.S. congress decided to limit his impact on America’s foreign policy, at least when it comes to Russia. Now, President Trump cannot make crucial decision in the U.S.-Russia relations.
Moreover, the “Russian factor” may become something that unites the American political elite. Russia is probably going to stat toxic for the U.S. even after Donald Trump leaves the White House. End even if the tensions deescalate, the feelings of distrust and hostility will still be there for a long time.
Now, Donald Trump cannot make a deal with Vladimir Putin and exchange those sanctions for something else. Russia can forget about big deals with America, which is why the chances of tougher political moves coming from both sides will only increase over time.
As for Europe, Brussels can hardly do something about it. Even though European businesses want to retain their ties with Russia, they don’t have enough willpower to do so. The recent round of sanctions was agreed with European politicians. And even tough European politicians are moaning about the necessity to be independent in their political decisions, they are actually doing it just to seem independent. The resent scandal with German turbines shipped to the Crimea shows that the level of hostility towards Russia is almost the same both in Western Europe and the U.S.
Russia is now on the same list with North Korea and Iran. As for Russian politicians, they are now busy discussing possible consequences and working on the ways to retaliate. The expert thinks that the new round of sanctions indicates the Western world’s intentions to oust Russia from globalization and make it an outcast like North Korea and Iran. She says that the Kremlin is feeling helpless now and will have to pay a high price for everything done over the past few years.
