Comments by "Stephen Hill" (@stephenhill545) on "Have sanctions against Russia backfired? | DW Business Special" video.

@anarabbasov8634 no, Russia has an economy the size of the state of texas and a population a bit bigger than Japan. It is picking an argument with a block of well over a billion people with half of total world gdp. In pure military terms with 3x the soldiers, 6x the aircraft and 15x the number of aircraft carriers. This block is giving ukraine a tiny portion of the help it could give(0.25% of gdp), and is absolutely capable of giving much more, should that ever be required. It is the perfect trap for a country which has lost touch with reality, and for some bizarre reason considers itself a superpower, against all the evidence.
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@JohnCSmith-lp1qr they are hardly going all in. There would be 5,000,000 troops and 24,000 aircraft in ukraine if they did that. They are giving just enough to bleed out russia's military.
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It's more prosperous than it was in my parents generation. If this is decline, I'll take that.
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@reasonerenlightened2456 the US is our historical and present ally, not threatening to invade us, and shares our values, so I'll take that happily.
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@TheShalalai the US is a reliable supplier and it hasn't invaded europe. That means a lot.
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And who can afford to suffer a bit? Europeans or Russians?
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@dgen77 it's actually true as well. Russia economy 1.5 tr. Dollars. Europe 18 tr. Dolllars. Russian population 145 mill. EU 800 mill. etc.
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@kakabhai6779 then you haven't been to russia. 50% of people there have no savings left and food inflation is very bad. This is very bad for the average Russian, who spends a large proportion of their income on food.
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@oxidemeta7793 it isn't depreciating. In fact it is appreciating against a ruble which is being actively propped up by the russian central Bank.
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@johnlenin830 I like the USA and am happy to be its partner. You can be iran and north korea's partner. They are serious abusers of human rights, if you want to talk about morals.
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@515coldfire they had to stop trading it, and bought it themselves to keep its value up. You do know that, right
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@johnlenin830 in your warped view of the world that is certainly so, but we, that is northern europe and North America, happen to have the same values, and want to live in a world where you can freely criticise power without fear of being fined or imprisoned, as is the case in countries like Russia and China, which are very repressive. You can live there if you wanna. I don't wanna. I like it in the west, where individual rights mean something, and are protected in law. .
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It's not helping much. GDP will contract by 5 to 10% this year, its in recession, and inflation is high. Its spending beyond its means, which would be doable if it had access to the capital and bond markets, which it doesn't. Headed for bankruptcy in reality. Its already defaulted on its debts and stopped publishing economic data, so things must be pretty bad.
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@munguci12 China would never buy more than 15% of its energy needs from one country. It is far less reckless than germany and Italy.
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@aadarshkushvaha295 China is concerned. The west is its main market. The regime there promises prosperity in return for no political freedoms. Its very important for them to avoid western sanctions.
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@Truthorfib Russia is bigger than the whole of Europe you say. Most of it is uninhabitable of course. Winter temperatures between - 30 and - 50 do not encourage population growth. In reality, Europe has 6x Russia's population, and its economy is 12x bigger. Interesting fact:As many people live in Belgium as the whole of Asiatic Russia, which is absolutely enormous. .
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@gerard02700 the energy market is changing. Soon Europe will only have electric cars, and is now taking renewable energy seriously.
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You know that isn't true. Food price inflation is high in Russia. Basics like milk and transport have gone up a lot, and only state employees and pensioners have been protected to some extent. Prices have risen around 50% in the last 3 years.
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It's all relative.
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They have historically been effective. They just take time. Crimean war and ww1 were decided by them in the form of economic blockades, and in ww2 Japan was forced to go south rather than helping Germany because of oil sanctions.
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@TheBikeOnTheMoon renewables are becoming more common with every passing year. And nuclear energy is always an option. Europe will adapt successfully, and Russia won't ever get the same revenue again.
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The poor Asian countries. Japan, Australia and South Korea are applying sanctions
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@fritsgerms3565 germany doesn't have an army worth the name, so that's not actually so worrying as it once was.
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@testingstudionideas3620 it's 2022. We don't accept the concept of a Sphere of influence. You Russians need to join the rest of us in this century, and leave the nineteenth behind
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A small price to pay for our security. Berlin and Paris sem to think the front lines are a long way away. They actually aren't, and with two days ammunition, germany really has to hope ukraine stops the russian army.
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Russia doesn't release its economic figures anymore. The yale study got around it by general cleverness and it doesn't look good.
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@sergeykish it is better to ignore that for the bluster which it is.
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Which pays much less of course, not great when fossil fuels make up 45% of your total income, but good for India certainly.
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@Bermuda-e7f it is less dangerous to European security than Russia, which is a major threat to it.
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@maxsmith3580 it has given a shot to renewables, which are the future for Europe.
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It isn't strong. There are capital controls in place to protect it. If it were freely traded, it would plummet.
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Are you equating the media environment in Russia and Europe? Do you know that journalists get murdered or long jail time in Russia if they get too critical of the government there?
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@Thor.Jorgensen western is a meaningless term. Europe has around 63 countries, each with their own unique features.
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@vladnickul having experienced Europe and Russia, I feel very sorry for anyone born in Russia. The gap in living standards is enormous, and the oppression is terrible in Russia. Its like living in a prison.
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Through the roof, so I guess you aren't american.
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Youre not in the uk. Its through the roof. Youre a Russian liar, with no morals.
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Milk and public transport aren't luxury goods and they've risen steeply in price in Russia.
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It is dependent on Western technology. The loss of western technology transfer is a very serious problem. eg 85% of the parts in its iskander missiles come from the west. Without western parts, it won't be able to make them.
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They are meant to, to put the Russian govt under pressure, and to deny it technologies for making advanced weapons, and to make it hard to raise capital.
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