Asia | Banyan

Asia’s commercial heft helps keep Russia’s war economy going

That holds future lessons for America

A drawing of two large shipping containers being sent to Russia, China, Singapore, and India.
Image: Lan Truong

FOLLOWING VLADIMIR PUTIN’S invasion of Ukraine two years ago, more than three dozen countries, led by the West, slapped economic sanctions on Russia. They were unprecedented in their scope for a target of its size, covering energy and other commodities, finance, technology, travel, shipping and more. Their aim was to raise the cost to Russia of continuing the war.

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This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Unsanctioned behaviour”

From the February 3rd 2024 edition

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