Konstantin Borovoy, the head of Russia's Western Choice Party (Image: NR2.com.ua)

Even if Vladimir Putin succeeded by some miracle in his current effort to get Western sanctions on his country for his aggression in Ukraine lifted, Konstantin Borovoy says, there are six reasons why even that would not prevent the looming humanitarian catastrophe in Russia.

The head of Russia’s Western Choice Party says that the first of these lies in the nature of Western sanctions themselves. “Their impact is more symbolic” than real because there are alternative channels for outside investment there and the market continues to work. The reason they appear to be working is that no one has any interest in investing in Russia now.

Second, he suggests, the counter-sanctions that the Putin regime introduced in response, are “more serious” in their impact than are Western sanctions. “The absence of competitive goods in the market is destroying competition” and leading to price increases that are putting many things out of reach of ordinary Russians.

Third, Borovoy points to the shift in Russia’s budgetary priorities. “The militarization of the budget and its stress on the force functions of the state are the result of all economic problems.” If the population were in fact satisfied with the current situation, such shifts would not be necessary.

Fourth, there is “the serious factor of corruption and protectionism.” The impact of these is “becoming ever more notable” in Russian government financing. Having to reduce pensions reflects “the ineffectiveness of the state itself,” especially given the way in which Putin’s elite enriched themselves earlier.

Fifth, Borovoy points out, Russia lacks “strong independent business.” If such businesses existed, they could compensate for many of the shortcomings of the state, but the state has made their presence in Russia almost impossible and thus deprived Russia of an important motor of development.

And sixth, even if sanctions were lifted, the Russian opposition figure points out, that would do nothing to affect the current declines in prices for oil and other raw materials on which the Putin regime has relied in the past. Consequently, expecting a miracle recovery in Russia even if sanctions are lifted is an exercise in denial of the obvious.

Sanctions may have allowed Putin to shift the blame to the West in the eyes of many Russians – and even in the minds of some in the West itself – but the fundamental drivers of Russia’s economic malaise were in play before sanctions were introduced and will remain even if they are eventually lifted.

Putin’s United Russia party campaigning in a Russian village: the horse-drawn cart reusing the cabin from a dismantled tractor prominently displays its flag wherever it goes (Image: rufabula.ru) Russia’s long-term problem, alcoholism, has become even more widespread during almost two decades of Putin’s reign. Drunken villagers in southern Siberia, Russia (Image: rus-img2.com) Russian villagers The tweet says: “Russian anti-sanctions and incineration of banned food look somewhat like this.” (Image: social media) This portrait from an October 2014 art exposition in Moscow in honor of Vladimir Putin’s birthday shows the Russian president fighting the multi-headed dragon of leading Western democracies. The EU, Japan, and Canada are still alive and fire back with “sanctions,” but the US head has already succumbed to Putin’s sword. The artist’s hopes were in vain. The economic sanctions put in place for Putin’s aggression against Ukraine are still in place. (Image: bbc.com) Russian propaganda meme: “Awaiting [Western] sanctions…” Destruction of Putin-sanctioned cheese in Belgorod oblast of Russia (Image: social media) Putin carrying Russia through the flames away from burning cheese (Image: social media) Destruction of Putin-sanctioned cheese in Belgorod oblast of Russia (Image: social media) Destruction of Putin-sanctioned cheese in Belgorod oblast of Russia (Image: social media) The picture shows the leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Gennadi Zyuganov talking to a member of young communist organization. The tweet says: “Little girl, do you want to go watch how they flatten cheese with an asphalt roller?” (Image: social media) The tweet says: “After they found out about mobile crematoria-ovens at Russian customs, the tomatoes from EU preferred suicide.” (Image: social media)

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Tags: humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, international, Russia, Russian sanctions against West