SenatorC.

Harvey
Rogers5
BillResearchPaper

BothTheRussianFederationandtheUnitedStateshaveaverylargeandcheckeredpast.
overthepastfiveyears,tensionsbetweenTheRussianFederationandtheUnitedStates,NATO
andtheEuropeanUnionhaverisen.RelationsworsenedduetotherecentconflictinUkraine
betweentherecognizedUkrainiangovernmentandtheSeparatists,whohavetakencontrolofa
largeportionofUkraine.Duringtheconflict,whichisstillongoing,TheRussianFederation
movedintoaregionofUkraineknownasCrimea.Theysentintheirmilitaryandannexedthe
region,CrimeanowbeingapartofRussia.ThisconquestworriedbothNATO,theEuropean
UnionandtheUnitedStates.InresponsetoRussiasnewlyfoundaggression,TheUnitedStates
andTheEuropeanUnionhaveplacedeconomicSanctionsontheRussianFederation.These
sanctionsappearedtobeeffectiveatfirst,butsoonbecameoverlyharshandstrictontheRussian
economy.TheRussianFederationisalargepartoftheglobalmarketanddamagingtheir
economynegativelyaffectsothercountries,andraisestensionsbetweenTheUnitedStatesand
TheRussianFederation.Thesanctionshavealsoproventobemoredamagingthananticipated
byboththeE.UandtheObamaAdministration.

Russiaisoneofthelargestcountriesintheworld,andistheninthlargestglobal
economy.Duetoitssizeandpresenceintheglobalmarket,ifRussia'seconomyfalters,itcan
affectothercountrieseconomyaswell.OnesuchcountryistheUnitedStates,whobeforethe
sanctionswereplaced,exportedlargeamountsoffoodstuffstoRussia.Foodandagriculture
exportedfromtheU.StoRussiawastotaled1.3billionin2013accordingtoJapanTimes.
U.S.

exportsoffoodandagriculturalproductstoRussiatotaled$1.3billionin2013.Amongthose
affectedareAmericanpoultryproducers,whoexported267,000metrictonsofchicken,valuedat
$303milliontoRussiain2013.(
www.japantimes.co.jp
).Theeconomicsanctionsinplacenot
onlyaffecttheU.S,theyalsoaffecttheEuropeanUnionandtheirexportsandimports.
They
are,however,abiggerissueforEuropebecauseofextensivetraderelationshipsenergy,
agriculture,andawiderangeofconsumergoodsthatEuropeexportsto
Russia.(
www.projectsyndicate.org
).BoththeE.UandtheU.ShavelargestakesintheRussian
economythrougheithertheirexportsandRussiasexportsandimports.Thesesanctionsmay
seemneededintheshortterm,butinthelongtermtheywillweakenboththeE.UsandtheU.Ss
economyaswellasRussiaseconomy.

ThesanctionsplacedonTheRussianFederationwerearesponsetoRussiasincreased
aggressionwithinUkraine,furtherworseningtheconflict.Theeconomicsanctionsplacedbythe
ObamaAdministrationintendedtotargetPresidentPutinsinnercircle,oligarchsandpolicy
makerswithinhisduma.DespiteObamasadministration'saims,thesanctionsinplacehaveonly
worsenedAmerica'simageintheeyesofRussiancitizens.TheRussiansbelievethesanctions
aredesignedtoweakenRussiaandreduceitsabilitytodefenditself.(
www.brookings.edu
).The
sanctionsplacedarenotonlyaffectingPutinsinnercircle,butarealsonegativelyaffecting
Russiancitizens.ThesanctionsplacedbytheU.Shavealsodonenothingtosourpublicopinion
ofPutininRussia.Nearlynineinten(88%)RussianshaveconfidenceinPutintohandle
internationalaffairs,including66%whohave
alot
ofconfidence.(
www.pewresearch.org
).

DespitethenegativeeffectonRussia'seconomy,theRussianpublicstillapproveofPutin,
despitethesanctionsthatwereplacedduetohisactionsandpolicies.

TheObamaAdministrationplacedthesanctionsonRussiaasadirectresponseto
PresidentPutinsannexationofCrimeaandhissupportofUkrainianseparatists.Thesanctions
weremeantonlytoaffectPutinandhisinnercircle,andtheyhave,butnotonlydothey
negativelyaffecttheRussianpeople,thedamagehasalsobecomeworsethananticipated.Many
economistssaythatproblemswouldhaveeruptedeveniftherewerenosanctions.Butthewave
ofWesternpenaltiesagainsttheRussianeconomyhasinadvertentlygiventheKremlinpolitical
coverwithitsownpeople,analystssay.(
www.washingtonpost.com
).Thesanctionsplacedare
makingasituationthatwasalreadybadbefore,evenworse.ThesanctionsarehelpingPutin
moresothantheyaredamaginghim.PresidentPutin'sstillholdsahighpublicimagerating
amongsthiscitizens.TheLevadaCenter,andindependentRussianpollingservice,reported
Putinsapprovalratingreaching89%positive
(
www.huffintonpost.com
).Thesanctionshaveso
farproventobealargeburdenontheeconomicstabilityofboththeU.S,E.UandtheRussian
Federation.

TheeffectivenessofthesanctionsplacedbytheE.UandtheObamaadministrationis
underscrutiny,andtwoargumentsareincommonusewhendefendingthesanctionsplaced,and
theyareasfollows.ThesanctionsplacedbytheObamaAdministrationhaveforcedPutinto
ceasegivingmilitaryaidtoUkrainianSeparatistsandthatthesanctionsplacedhaveforcedPutin
andhisinnercircletochangetheirpolicies.Thesanctionsplacedhavedonenothingsofarasto

changePutinsviewonthesanctionsplacedbytheU.S,ashisviewonthemareverydifferentto
howweviewthem.

Themeaningwasthathehasacompletelydifferentframeofreference,and
asaresult,thathedoesnotvieweventsandactionsthesamewaythatweintheWestdo.What
MerkelsaidofPutinappliestothemajorityofRussians.Thisiscertainlytrueasregards
conceptsofglobalandnationalsecurity.TheWestandRussiaareworldsapartonwhat
constitutesasecuritythreat,onRussiasactionsinUkraine,andonwhatsanctions
represent.(
www.brookings.edu
).DespitetheeconomicsanctionsplacedontheRussian
FederationthatwerespecificallyaimedforPutinandhisinnercirclehaveyettohalthissupport
toUkrainianseparatists.The
continuedfighting
ineasternUkraineunderscoresthefailureof
sanctionstocurbRussianinterferencethere,accordingtothesecommentatorsand
others.(
www.investopedia.com
).DespitetheperceivedeffectofthesanctionsplacedonRussia,
therussianleadershipandpublichaveyettochange,despiteeconomicpressures.

U.SandRussianrelationshaverarelybeenpositive,andtensionshaverisenovermany
provocationsfrombothcountries.Today,thereisalargeamountoftensionbetweentheU.Sand
Russia,damagingourrelationsandtheglobaleconomy.Raisedtensionsduetoeconomic
sanctionsplacedbytheU.SandtheE.Ucouldleadtoalackofcooperationbetweenboth
countries,andaheightenedchanceofafuturearmedconflictbetweenTheU.SandRussia.The
removalofsanctionsplacedwillnotcompletelyfixourtwocountriestatteredrelationship,butit
wouldbeafirststeptowardsfurthercooperationbetweenourtwocountriesinthefuture.

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Gaddy,CliffordG."OneYearofWesternSanctionsagainstRussia:WeStillLiveinDifferent
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.Brookings,9Mar.2015.Web.24Oct.2015.<
http://www.brookings.edu/
>.

Birnbaum,Michael."AYearintoaConflictwithRussia,AreSanctionsWorking?"
Washington
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<
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<
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