Annexation of Crimea: Western Sanctions and Russia’s Response (2014–2021)

This chapter centers on the sanctions levied against Russia following the Ukrainian crisis and the annexation of Crimea in 2014. It begins by examining the objectives behind these sanctions. The chapter scrutinizes how the sanctions evolved and intensified over time. The overarching aim of these sanctions was to impose enough economic damage on Russia to compel a significant shift in its foreign policy. Borozna and Kochtcheeva highlight Russia’s strategies to counter these sanctions, including state action, import substitution, forging stronger ties with non-Western sources of technology and capital, and fostering its strategic industries to fulfill domestic economic needs. The chapter underscores that the primary political objectives of sanctions have not been achieved. Russia did not alter its political trajectory, retained control of Crimea, and refrained from making unilateral concessions. The Russian political system remained predominantly cohesive, and Moscow avoided political isolation by deepening existing international connections and establishing new ones.