Russia: Schrödinger’s sanctions
How sanctions are devastating and also doing nothing at all
“I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest.”- Winston Churchill 1939.
To understand Russia
I lived 7 years in Russia and 15 years in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Russian is the language of my household. Now, this might seem like a qualification to know Russia but it isn’t. Surely it can be said that I understand it better than some writers on Medium, that is true. But to truly know Russia? I don’t think so.
The great writers of Russian literature have wrestled with the concept of the Russian soul for centuries. It is entirely possible that I understand some aspects of Russia better than some of the locals, this is simply because in the Soviet Union information was so controlled- and since the vast amount of Russians don’t read newspapers but get their news from state TV channels. Of course there are plenty of Russians who know a heck of a lot more about their country than I do.
But even they don’t know Russia because Russia is unknowable. Like Winston Churchill’s quote above. Russia cannot be put in a box, Russia does not make sense. The moment you…
