Sanctions Stifle Russian Economy

In a recent briefing, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Advisor and Commissioner for Sanctions Policy to the Ukrainian President, highlighted the severe impacts of international sanctions on the Russian economy. The meeting, which included heads and representatives from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan, focused on evaluating the current sanctions and planning further actions to intensify pressure on Russia.

During the briefing, Vlasiuk detailed the economic stagnation in Russia, exacerbated by ineffective attempts to boost the economy through domestic borrowing. He reported a significant decline across all industrial sectors towards the end of the year, noting a 2-5% drop in November–December 2025 compared to the previous year. Additionally, revenue from oil and gas plummeted by 24% compared to 2024.

Vlasiuk emphasized the necessity of strengthening sanctions, particularly in cutting off supplies of foreign components used in Russian military productions and tightening controls in financial sectors, including cryptocurrency operations. He also called for aggressive measures against the “shadow fleet” tankers, which are instrumental in bypassing sanctions. These measures have already led to increased service costs, with shipping rates and insurance prices soaring significantly.

Concluding the briefing, Vlasiuk affirmed Ukraine’s readiness to collaborate closely with the represented nations to develop new sanctions packages. He stressed that these coordinated efforts are crucial for advancing negotiations towards a peaceful resolution. The link to the official news release can be found on the Ukrainian President’s official website.