According to Russia’s economic elite, President Putin is engaged in a long war of attrition and will relentlessly try to use economic weapons, such as the blockade of Ukrainian grain exports, to reduce Western support for Kiev.
ProAgro Group reports that The Washington Post wrote in its editorial.
Putin “believes the West will be exhausted,” a well-connected Russian billionaire told the publication on condition of anonymity. Putin initially did not expect a strong and united response from the West, but now he is trying to change the situation and believes he will win in the long run because Western leaders are vulnerable to electoral cycles and public opinion can change overnight.
The embargo on Russian offshore oil exports announced by the European Union this week will have little impact in the short term,” said one Russian official close to Moscow diplomatic circles. And Kremlin spokesman Peskov told The Washington Post that EU populations are more affected by sanctions than Russia, leading to increased crises.
This stance indicates that the Kremlin believes it can beat the West by withstanding the impact of economic sanctions. Putin has no choice but to continue the war in the hope that the grain blockade of Ukraine “will lead to instability in the Middle East and provoke a new flow of refugees.
