German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Says Sanctions Will Remain If Russia “Dictates” Terms of Peace in Ukraine
Jose Nino
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In a Foreign Affairs article published on December 5, 2022, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared that Western sanctions imposed on Russia will not be reneged in the case that Russia “dictates” the terms of a peace agreement in Ukraine.
“It was clear from the outset of the war that these sanctions would have to be in place for a long time, as their effectiveness increases with each passing week,” Scholz stated. He states that Moscow “needs to understand that not a single sanction will be lifted should Russia try to dictate the terms of a peace deal.”
Working with its allies in NATO, Scholz stated that “Germany stands ready to reach arrangements to sustain Ukraine’s security as part of a potential postwar peace settlement.” Scholz stated that for the Russo-Ukrainian conflict to end, it must withdraw its troops.
“Our message to Moscow is very clear: we are determined to defend every single inch of NATO territory against any possible aggression. We will honor NATO’s solemn pledge that an attack on any one ally will be considered an attack on the entire alliance. We have also made it clear to Russia that its recent rhetoric concerning nuclear weapons is reckless and irresponsible,” Scholz proclaimed.
Ever since Russia launched its military incursion into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Collective West has launched a full-fledged sanctions war against Russia in hopes of degrading it economically and militarily. None of this has come to pass as Russia’s economy is humming along and its military is now targeting critical infrastructure in Ukraine.
One of the main lessons about sanctions is that they don’t work. The US should recognize this as it has imposed a bevy of sanctions on countries such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria with zero results to show for actual regime change.
In the case of Russia, not only will these sanctions prove to be ineffective in terms of toppling the Putin government, they may make Russia pursue more maximalist military aims as it now starts to view this conflict in a more existential light now that the West is waging a full-blown economic war and military proxy war against Russia.
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