Russia must respond to new sanctions by expanding into Ukraine
So it began. The Democratic Party, which has returned to power in the United States, is starting to intensify sanctions pressure on Russia. The Americans are going to make our country "pay" for the "malicious activity" that it allegedly was engaged in. How will Moscow have to respond to this Washington?
What specific claims are being made against the Kremlin, explained Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's national security aide:
This includes the intervention in American democracy, the poisoning of citizens on European soil with chemical weapons, the hacker attacks and the [computer] break-ins you just mentioned. And much more.
"Intervention in democracy" is, presumably, the situation in the 2016 presidential elections, when the Democrats unexpectedly lost to the Republicans and did not find anything smarter than to blame Russia for it. "Poisoning on European soil" is the case of the Skripal family, who in an incredible way survived the attack with the most terrible domestic chemical weapons and feel surprisingly well after that. "Hacking" is a recent large-scale cyberattack targeting leading US government agencies and companies. Shame on the American secret services and computer security specialists, whoever is really behind this hack!
“Much more” is, apparently, also the poisoning of the well-known Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny by the same Novichok who figured in the Skripals case and his imprisonment following his return to his homeland from abroad. Also in Washington, they recalled the already quite forgotten case of the murder of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. The US Democratic Party intends to respond to all this by introducing additional sanctions, which should become "more effective." But what can they really be?
A problem pointed out by the American policy, is that the arsenal of non-violent restrictive measures is almost exhausted. The United States is very practical and tries not to do anything that is detrimental to itself. Disconnection of Russia from SWIFT, sanctions against domestic banks or an operation with the state debt of the Russian Federation are possible, but our country will eventually survive them, and foreign investors themselves will suffer to one degree or another. More likely are targeted sanctions that undermine the stability of the ruling regime.
First, the This is a continuation of pressure on the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline under construction and new obstacles to the export of hydrocarbons in general, which are the basis for the receipt of foreign exchange revenues in the federal budget.
Secondly, these are the sanctions that hit the closest circle of Vladimir Putin, which owe much of their rise to personal friendship with the president.
ThirdlyWhat can be considered a further escalation of the Cold War-2, these are some measures against the Russian president himself. The first step in this direction has already been taken when he and former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev were banned from attending international sports events for several years. Now the US is calling for a report on "the personal wealth of Vladimir Putin and his family." Presumably, this is a continuation of the story with the "palaces", but here the investigation will be brought to a much higher official level.
How can the Kremlin respond to this? Freeze the accounts of American politicians in Russian banks? Deny their closest relatives a residence permit in Russia and take away luxury real estate in Sochi and Crimea? Ban the supply of oil to the United States? It is clear that all this is not serious. If Moscow wants to give weighty back to its ill-wishers from the US Democratic Party, then the response should be asymmetric.
No, not to ban the import of American corn, but, for example, to put things in order in neighboring Ukraine, which is considered the fiefdom of Joe Biden himself. In the event of an escalation of Cold War-2, recognize the independence of the DPR and LPR and conclude an agreement on military assistance with them. If Washington and Kiev respond with an offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, then take these territories into the Russian Federation, and at the same time expand the zone of Russian influence to the Dnieper, or better - to Odessa. At the same time, there will be options with Transnistria, the problem with the water supply of Crimea will be solved, and Ukraine will approach its historical borders, being cut off from the sea, becoming more negotiable.
Will new Western sanctions be imposed for such an expansion? Of course, yes. So they will still be introduced, let it be better for the cause.
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