The Azure Forum Fireside Briefing: Why the Western sanctions against Russia may backfire

The Azure Forum would like to invite you to an informal fireside briefing and group discussion on "Why the Western sanctions against Russia may backfire" on Thursday 6 October 2022 at 18:00-20:00.

This fireside invites participants to discuss the following abstract:

"The West imposed sanctions to punish Russia's attack on Ukraine, which violated international law. Many people were and are shocked that war has returned to Europe. The punishment of the Russian government and society continues to find much support in Germany and other European countries. Critics of the sanctions are frequently asked whether standing idly by is an alternative. There is little discussion, however, about whether economic sanctions are a wise policy. The question of what happens if the sanctioned state does not end its war of aggression was, and is, given little space in the debates. This is irresponsible, because the sanctions are having an effect, albeit quite different from what the sanctions advocates expected. The sanctions alliance has either misjudged or failed to consider at least three dimensions of its actions. The first concerns the ability of Russian society to cope with sanctions. To put it bluntly: people in Russia know sanctions and know how to live with them. The second point concerns the consequences of sanctions for the international financial system: the measures can lead to the emergence of competing systems. Third, the sanctions have consequences for international trade and are likely to exacerbate the already observable trend toward the decline of international economic relations."

The initial briefing will be provided by Heribert Dieter. Heribert is Senior Fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Berlin. From 2013 to 2019, he was Visiting Professor for International Political Economy at Zeppelin University, Lake Constance, a position he returned to in 2021. Since 2017, he is also an Associate Professor at Potsdam University. From summer 2019 to December 2020, he was Visiting Professor at the University of Hong Kong and served as Director of Policy Research at the Asia Global Institute. Heribert has published eight monographs and seven edited volumes, primarily on international economic relations and regional integration. His research focuses on international trade and finance. The future of the multilateral trading system and the stability of the international financial system have been key questions in his research. In addition, he has worked on regional integration in Europe and the Asia-Pacific, particularly on supranational financial co-operation. In his current research, he analyses economic developments in China and India.

Please register early to avoid disappointment since places are highly limited to facilitate discussion.

This briefing is open outside the Azure Forum membership. Azure Forum Members can use their dedicated code for discounted registration.