I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia.
It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma;
but perhaps there is a key.
That key is Russian national interest.
Sir Winston Churchill, 1939.
FROM Siberia On Sunctions
This is common knowledge that the US and its satellites including EU, Canada, and Australia imposed heavy sanctions on Russia. On March 10 2022, Jen Psaki, the White House press-secretary (the erudite woman most respected here, in Tuva) proclaimed that the sanctions "have basically crushed the Russian economy" (https://www.foxnews.com/world/psaki-we-have-basically-crushed-the-russian-economy). At the same time the BBC reporters interviewed people in Moscow to find that "Millions of Russians ... are starting to feel the effect of Western economic sanctions" and "Russians feel the pain" (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60558731). (Note that BBC blocked access for users with Russian ip addresses. Use vpn if you are from Russia)
Nevertheless, some radicals declare that the sanctions have had no effect at all. The other day, Mr Verhofstadt, the former Belgian prime minister and incumbent member of European Parliament, stated that a fifth set of sanctions "doesn't work". (https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1592182/Verhofstadt-EU-plenary-russia-sanctions-gas-oil-ukraine-vn). One of the Belgian reporters echoes Verhofstadt saying that everyday life of ordinary Russians hasn't changed to the worse (https://www.rtbf.be/article/un-oeil-sur-le-monde-vers-quoi-se-dirige-la-russie-en-2023-11130570).
Belgium seems to have become the center of European radicalism and nihilism.
Such controversial positions may cause a painful cognitive dissonance for the Western public.
The aim of this short message is to provide convincing evidence based on my personal experience, that such irresponsible persons as Verhofstadt are totally wrong while the BBC reporters, and Psaki are completely right.
It should be noted, that the very first package of sanctions was introduced in 2014, and a year later President Obama (well respected here, in Yakutia) announced in his State of the Union Address that "Russia is isolated, with its economy in tatters" (https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2015/01/21/obama-says-western-sanctions-have-left-russias-economy-in-tatters-a43069). In February 2019, a group of US senators introduced a new set of sanctions aimed at devastating Russian economy. Lindsey Graham (very respected here, in Birobidjan), the head of the group, characterized the new set as "sanctions from hell" (https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-russia-sanctions-idUKL5N20F58G).
So, we have the following sequence of events:
2014 - initial sanctions introduced;
2015 - Russian economy in tatters;
2019 - sanctions from hell;
2022 (March) - Russian economy crushed.
Logically thinking, we may conclude that currently, in January 2023, Russian economy must be totally destroyed, having disintegrated into invisible atoms. Which is actually the case.
Let me just describe my daily routine.
Early in the morning I would go to a recreation area to do a workout at -20 C or lower, the usual temperature at this time of year. Many of my fellow citizens do the same, parks, sport grounds, areas being overcrowded.
The naive reader may ask: "Why not do exercises at home if it is so cold?" The problem is that flats and houses are not warm, to put it mildly. Many people have to keep the windows open because it is warmer outside!
The intelligent reader might have noticed that I use the ancient alcohol thermometer. And this is also a result of the sanctions, since the export of modern technologies was banned. I have to use the outdated devices, such as Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 10IGL5, that cannot be upgraded to the latest versions of software. The Microsoft corporation cordially and constantly informs me about this fact obediently following the sanctions.
The Apple company banned the export of IPhones, and I had to buy a primitive Sony Xperia PRO-I instead. And it was painful! What is the worst of all, European car producers banned exports to Russia. I had to buy a brutal Land Cruiser 300 instead of an elegant Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. And it caused me lots of pain!
Apparently, under such circumstances substantial and nourishing diet must be of vital importance. But, due to the sanctions, the shelves at grocery stores are half empty lacking many traditional Siberian products. See the pictures below (all photos taken on January 5, 2023).
You can see that such simple fruits and vegetables as avocado, pineapple, kiwi, and coconuts are still available though the produce traditionally consumed by Siberians, such as mangosteen, durian, and tamarillo cannot be found!
One can buy the ordinary fish that can be caught in Siberian rivers, salmon, trout, and sturgeon, but it's impossible to find frog legs, the most nourishing and favorable Siberian product.
Buckwheat, the traditional Russian crop, is still in sale but at the enormous price of $1,15 per a kilogram. A year ago it cost $1,1! The inflation rate has accelerated form 4% last year to more than 5% this year. Not everyone can afford buying such an expensive product taking into account that the average monthly wages here are about $800. Many people had to switch from the buckwheat to the brown rice. That shift in nutrition habits was rather painful.
Spirits have been indispensable ingredients of the Russian diet for centuries. The images show that vodka, whisky, gin, cabernet and other exotic alcohol drinks are still in sale, while the hackneyed Chateau d"Yquem, Chateau Margaux, and Chateau Mouton Rothschild disappeared long ago. I can't imagine normal life without a couple of glasses of them at lunch experiencing awful pain every day.
I think, I have provided enough evidence for the smart reader to come to the conclusion that Obama, Graham, and BBC reporters, these esteemed and truthful persons, were completely and totally right. Siberians really suffer from the results of the sanctions, severe frosts and cold homes, lack of traditional Siberian-tropical food and spirits, deficient nutrition, lack of modern devices and gadgets, and motor cars.