SANCTIONS VS. COUNTER-SANCTIONS: EVALUATING THE STRATEGIC EFFECTIVENESS OF US AND EU MEASURES ON RUSSIA’S GLOBAL INFLUENCE

This paper analyzes the effects of the sanctions which have been applied by the United States and the European Union against Russia after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the conflict in Ukraine in 2022. The study examines the effectiveness of these economic, military and international sanctions in weakening Russia. It refers to key measures, including financial restrictions, energy price caps, export controls and asset freezes. The paper also summarizes the measures taken by Russia to deal with these sanctions, such as opening up to Asian countries, adapting financial policies and moving toward other economic partnerships. The findings indicate that sanctions have put economic pressure on Russia, restricted its access to high tech technologies, and decreased its involvement with western markets. But Russia has managed to mitigate some of these impacts with economic flexibility, and better ties with non-Western nations. The study concludes that sanctions have posed big problems for Russia, but they have not been as effective as they could be because Russia has been able to adapt, evolve and forge other economic and political ties in response. The sanctions have resulted in considerable economic pressure and partial failure in reducing the global influence of Russia but indicate the conditional efficacy of economic coercion in the multi-polar international system.