The debate about the effectiveness of sanctions is not new, but was started at a high political level by the United States’ (US) President Wilson in 1919, when he discussed the utility of sanctions as a foreign policy (FP) instrument which he viewed as an alternative to war. Almost a century later, the debate about the effectiveness of sanctions still lives on.
While the US has been a frequent sender of sanctions since WWI, the European Union (EU) has emerged as a new sender of sanctions on the international stage since the 1990s. For this paper, the sanctions imposed by the EU on the Russian Federation (Russia) starting in March 2014 were selected as a case study to investigate the effectiveness of sanctions.
This paper applies the framework developed by Hufbauer to analyse the effectiveness of sanctions, which points out that their effectiveness depends on the extent to which the policy objectives by the sender were achieved and the contribution to success that was made by the sanctions. To explain the influence of sanctions on Russia, special emphasis is laid on the political character of the target’s country’s government, which is one of the political variables outlined by Hufbauer.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
METHDOLOGY
CASE SELECTION
ANALYSIS
First round of sanctions
Second round of sanctions
Third round of sanctions
The political nature of the target country’s government
CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Themes
This essay evaluates the effectiveness of economic sanctions imposed by the European Union on the Russian Federation since March 2014, applying the analytical framework developed by Hufbauer et al. to determine if foreign policy objectives were met and whether the sanctions contributed to these outcomes.
- Application of the Hufbauer et al. framework for sanction evaluation.
- Categorization of EU sanctions into three distinct implementation rounds.
- Analysis of the political nature of the Russian government as a variable for sanction failure.
- Examination of the EU’s normative self-conception and its role as a foreign policy actor.
- Assessment of the disconnect between state and society within the Russian political system.
Excerpt from the Book
The political nature of the target country’s government
To be able to understand why the sanctions can be seen as failure in achieving the FP objectives, one needs to take into account the rational of the EU, which is not to punish, but to influence (Fisher, 2015, p. 3). Sanctions should hit the responsible elites, instead of affecting the population. With regard to Russia, EU policy-makers aimed to put external and internal pressure on the political leaders to change their policies. Even though the Russian economy was considerably affected by the sanctions, the political leaders did not change their cost-benefit calculation as Russian political leaders seemingly prioritise security and power rather than economic rationality (Fischer, 2017, p. 4). To understand why the rationale of the EU did not work, the political nature of Russia’s government is henceforth investigated.
The ‘Democracy index’ downgraded Russia in 2010 from a hybrid to an authoritarian regime type, entailing amongst other aspects, that political pluralism is absent, elections are not free and fair, media are state-owned or controlled by groups connected to the ruling regime and criticism of the government is repressed (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2011). One further needs to take into account that Russia’s power vertical is extremely concentrated on one person, the President. It needs to be emphasised that this power vertical of loyalty was not destroyed by the sanctions, but rather offered those targeted in the inner circle an “opportunity to prove their loyalty“, illustrated by the example of the Russian oligarch Rotenberg who declared he would accept the losses he faced due to the sanctions are his “contribution to national development” (Fischer, 2015, p. 4).
Summary of Chapters
INTRODUCTION: Outlines the historical context of sanctions as a policy instrument and presents the hypothesis that EU sanctions on Russia have largely failed due to the specific nature of the Russian political regime.
BACKGROUND: Defines economic sanctions according to Hufbauer et al. and discusses the limitations and academic debate surrounding their efficacy as foreign policy tools.
METHDOLOGY: Explains the analytical framework used to categorize sanction objectives and determine their contribution to policy results based on official EU declarations.
CASE SELECTION: Justifies the selection of EU sanctions against Russia, highlighting the EU’s role as a normative actor and the relevance of the ongoing conflict.
ANALYSIS: Evaluates the three rounds of sanctions chronologically and investigates how Russia's centralized political system undermines the influence of these measures.
CONCLUSION: Summarizes the finding that the sanctions were largely ineffective in changing the political course of the Russian elite while confirming the EU's role as a normative power.
Keywords
Economic sanctions, European Union, Russian Federation, foreign policy, effectiveness, Hufbauer, political regime, power vertical, Ukraine, Minsk agreements, normative actor, targeted sanctions, political elite, authoritarianism, sanctions contribution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the effectiveness of the economic sanctions implemented by the European Union against the Russian Federation starting in March 2014, specifically evaluating whether these measures achieved their stated foreign policy goals.
Which central thematic areas are addressed?
The work covers the theoretical framework of economic sanctions, the classification of EU sanctions into three rounds, the role of the EU as a normative international actor, and the structural analysis of the Russian political system.
What is the primary research question or goal?
The primary goal is to determine the effectiveness of the sanctions by applying the Hufbauer et al. framework, focusing on whether policy objectives were achieved and the extent to which the sanctions contributed to these outcomes.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author utilizes the methodology proposed by Hufbauer et al., which categorizes sanctions based on the achievement of foreign policy objectives and their contribution to success, supplemented by qualitative analysis of political variables.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body includes a literature-based background on sanctions, the methodological approach, a case selection justification, a detailed analysis of three rounds of sanctions, and a critical evaluation of Russia's political nature.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
The work is best characterized by terms such as Economic Sanctions, Effectiveness, European Union, Russian Federation, Foreign Policy, and Political Nature of the Government.
Why did the author conclude that the sanctions were ineffective?
The author argues that the sanctions failed because the Russian political elite prioritizes security and power over economic rationality, and the centralized power structure allows the regime to insulate itself from critical discourse.
How did the concept of the "power vertical" influence the findings?
The "power vertical" indicates that sanctions actually allowed the Russian inner circle to demonstrate loyalty to the President, rather than forcing them to change their political calculations as the EU intended.
- Quote paper
- Inga von der Stein (Author), 2017, Effectiveness of the economic sanctions imposed by the EU on Russia since March 2014, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/386968
