Conclusion

This chapter serves as the concluding chapter, summarizing the book’s key findings regarding the objectives and outcomes of sanctions and discussing the implications of these arguments for Russia’s future interactions with the international community. Borozna and Kochtcheeva underscore that Russia has developed adaptive strategies, which allowed Moscow to endure the sanctions and make Russia less vulnerable to their impact. This does not mean that sanctions have absolutely no effect; they undeniably cause economic hardships in the Russian economy. However, the primary political objectives of sanctions, which were aimed at changing Russia’s foreign policy direction, have not been achieved. These sanctions are anticipated to have long-lasting consequences, not only for Russia but also for broader international trade and international relations. One of the main achievements of Western sanctions on Russia was making Russia acknowledge its overreliance on the West. This pressure led Russia to recalibrate its development trajectory, emphasizing policies like import substitution and fostering domestic economic growth. The imposition of sanctions on Russia and the global response to these sanctions also made evident the increasing division of global geopolitics between the Western alliance, the Chinese-led block, and a third group of emerging countries that has yet to decide on a course of action.