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The Burn Bag Podcast

Punishing Putin: Assessing the Unprecedented Economic War on Russia with Bloomberg Reporter Stephanie Baker

Aug 26, 2024
In a riveting discussion, Stephanie Baker, a veteran Bloomberg journalist and Russia expert, dives deep into the economic warfare unleashed against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. She unpacks the intricate mechanisms behind sanctions and their geopolitical implications. The conversation covers the challenges of enforcement, the power of the U.S. dollar, and the unintended humanitarian impacts of sanctions. Baker also shares insights on the current state of the Russian economy and the potential shifts in U.S. policy depending on future elections.
46:27

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Quick takeaways

  • The U.S. coordinated an unprecedented economic warfare through sanctions to destabilize Russia's economy following its invasion of Ukraine.
  • Global responses to the sanctions highlighted the complexities of international relations, as some nations like India deepened ties with Russia.

Deep dives

Understanding Economic Warfare

Economic warfare encompasses various tactics used to exert pressure on a nation for geopolitical reasons, primarily through sanctions, trade restrictions, and export controls. When the U.S. imposed sanctions on entities like Russia's largest bank, it effectively cut them off from the American financial system, demonstrating the strong influence of the U.S. dollar globally. Enforcement of these sanctions poses significant challenges, as the U.S. Treasury has struggled to manage the vast number of sanctions imposed, leading to potential lapses in enforcement. The complexity of the financial system and the international reliance on the dollar amplify the effectiveness of such economic tools against countries like Russia.

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