James Simons-
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the country’s retaliatory measures on sanctions from the West, coming in the form of a ban on certain western food products are good for Russia’s economy.
The Russian president added that it would last “as long as possible.” Putin added that the ban is in the consumers’ interest because it makes good quality products at lower prices becoming more available.
“We must create viable conditions,” he said, speaking at an ‘Action Forum’ of the All-Russia People’s Front on Tuesday.
Russia banned imports of a number of foods from the West in response to sanctions imposed against Russia over the Ukranaian crisis. It became a tit for tat affair which Putin believes ha paid off.
“We really did it responsibly and, in fact, used the short-sighted decisions that had been applied in regard to our country by our so-called partners, who introduced the sanctions,” Putin said, stressing that Russia’s counter -measures were also meant to protect its domestic market.
Putin signed a decree
Last June, Putin signed a decree that prolongs economic sanctions on some Western products until the end of 2017. The ban on certain agricultural products, raw materials, and food imports from countries supporting the sanctions.
Russia and the West should probably be concentrating on discussing and debating the issues that led to the sanctions, but this is rarely ever the case where the countries have made their minds up that their perspective is right. It would appear that if Russia feels better off with the ongoing sanctions then there all is well. Except that the tensions that led to the sanctions remain unsolved, and perhaps have even been worsened by the presence of other issues that makes the original issues not even on the table for discussion.
The tensions over Syria and now Nato’s surrounding of Russian boarders have taken over as more important and relevant to bad relations between Russia and the West, calling again for closer scrutiny into the cause of the tensions. It may be that the tensions are beyond repair, or require a magic wand to make them just disappear like they were never there.
Exactly what the purpose of this announcement is unclear. It probably was a sign of Putin’s defiance towards the West, and a reflection of the effects of the sanctions imposed against Russia. This is Putin’s way of saying Russia is a self-sufficient superpower capable of enjoying economic progress even in the face of sanctions from the West and its allies. This may be true or false, but more important is whether Russia is actually justified in the dispute with the West.