The Russian Experience in Resisting U.S. and Western Sanctions and Its Implications for the Global South

Abstract

Following the imposition of extensive waves of sanctions by the United States and its allies against Russia in the wake of the Russian–Ukrainian crisis—particularly after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and subsequently upon the launch of its military operation in Ukraine on 24 February 2022—Russia adopted a range of measures and policies to adapt to these sanctions and, to a considerable extent, succeeded in mitigating their effects. Conversely, these sanctions failed to alter Russia’s position on the war or its behavior toward Ukraine.

The central research problem lies in analyzing the extent to which Russia’s experience can serve as a model for Global South countries in confronting U.S. and Western sanctions. The study also seeks to examine whether the repeated use of this instrument may ultimately erode its effectiveness as a tool of strategic pressure.

The study concludes that Moscow established strategic pathways in its response to sanctions that Global South states could adopt should they face similar economic sanctions from the United States and the West. This, in turn, may contribute to weakening the power and effectiveness of sanctions as a coercive instrument. The study employed a critical approach within the field of International Political Economy to analyze the Russian–Ukrainian crisis and its wider implications.