Sanctions Are Forever

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

That's a rule of thumb on illegally imposed sanctions by the US throughout the post-WW II period.

The rule of law never interferes with its diabolical agenda at home and abroad.

In cahoots with big money and complicit partners, US ruling regimes long ago sold out ordinary people everywhere to serve privileged ones exclusively — at the expense of a safe and fit to live in nation, as well as world peace.

No nation poses a greater threat to humanity than imperial USA.

Its forever wars by hot and/or other means may doom us all if not challenged, checked and halted.

Use of sanctions is one of its main weapons against nations, groups, and individuals unwilling to bow to its will.

Ignored is that when unilaterally imposed by one nation on others, the UN Charter and other international law are flagrantly breached.

The International Progress Organization called sanctions "an illegitimate form of collective punishment of the weakest and poorest members of society, the infants, the children, the chronically ill, and the elderly."

Whenever imposed, they fail to achieve objectives. Yet US regimes use them repeatedly in waging war on humanity.

On Monday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin explained the following:

For the US-dominated West, "the sanctions regime has always been in place." 

"And it will remain so forever. Let us be realistic." 

They reflect longstanding US/Western policy. It's "impossible to roll them back" because their ruling regimes operate extrajudicially and don't change their wicked ways.

Whenever imposed, they're "illegitimate."

"They were slapped under very shaky pretexts, without any proof, but those facts, which are deemed as committed, cannot be rolled back."

They have no effect on Russia's pursuit of its interests — according to the rule of law.

Moscow won't ever cave to unacceptable Western demands. 

It won't ask for sanctions relief by falsely saying its legitimate actions are otherwise.

Notably, as long as Crimea legitimately remains part of Russia — in full compliance with international law — US/Western sanctions war on the country won't end.

Pankin: "It's clear that we won't give up Crimea." 

"If Crimea is part of Russia, we will always be under sanctions like there were sanctions against the Baltic Region until it separated and became three different states." 

"This is a tough idea, but we need to be realistic."

Russia responds defensively in accordance with the rule of law — polar opposite how the US dominated West operates.

"Russia has prepared a set of additional measures to be employed in case of new anti-Russian sanctions," Pankin explained, adding:

"When we are talking about action against (Moscow), we should at the same time also think about being ready for new sanctions." 

"Of course, we have a list of additional measures kept on the shelve, that will be put into action at the time and under the conditions when it will be deemed necessary."

"It's not only us that understands this, but also" the hostile US-dominated West. 

Whenever imposed extrajudicially, "sanctions create an atmosphere of toxicity."

"(W)e we have long (ago) become accustomed to the fact that lovers of unilateral restrictive measures have ceased to care about" anything but their own hostile interests.

Russia will always respond "n a balanced and adequate way, starting with the principle of maintaining the stability of the Russian economy and the financial system."

During a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi last month, Sergey Lavrov stressed the following:

The US "declared its mission is to limit the technological development opportunities of both the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China," adding:

In response, both nations should move away from use of "Western-controlled international payment systems."

Days earlier, Vladimir Putin explained that the US and West invent reasons to sanction Russia (and other) nations extrajudicially.

In defiance of the rule of law and cooperative relations with other nations, the US uses the dollar as "an instrument of competition and political struggle."

This policy "hurt its role as the world reserve currency," Putin added.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian Federation has been illegally sanctioned over 90 times since established 30 years ago.

One of many ways in which Russia is responding to US war on the country by other means is by dumping the dollar.

Moscow's answer is by making its economy more self-sufficient — by reducing its dollar exposure ahead of eliminating it altogether by the nation and its enterprises.

According to Russian Finance Ministry's external restrictive measures head Dmitry Timofeev:

"Our number one (currency) goal is to turn Russia into a euro-oriented country, thus to replace the dollar with the euro (and other currencies), adding:

"We need to develop the necessary tools in a single package to move the entire economy further away from the dollar, which, in fact, will allow us to avoid sanctions and make the world more democratic."

Last week, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said the country's National Wealth Fund (NWF) would reduce its share of dollars to zero within a month, adding:

Dollars will be replaced by the euro, yuan and gold.

NWF's portfolio of Japanese yen will remain unchanged.

Dollars comprise about 35% of the fund's current structure.

Around 40% of dollar assets will replaced by euros, 30% by yuan, 20% by gold, the remainder by other non-dollar currencies.

Moscow earlier began reducing its investment in US public debt.

From April 2018 - May 2020, Russian investments in US assets were cut from $96 billion to $5.39 billion.

The latest figures through March 2021 has them at $3.976 billion.

According to noted investor Jim Rogers, the US "dollar has political problems because if America gets angry at you, they use sanctions." 

"They say you cannot use it (even though) the international currency is supposed to be neutral."

It's why nations seek to circumvent dollar use.

Rogers "understand(s) why the Russians would start to diversify more and more."

"You just have to diversify and have a plan B," he stressed.

In April, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said Russia's "macroeconomic stability is fully ensured," adding:

"The efficiency of our economic bloc is recognized internationally." 

"We have no reason to doubt this state of affairs."

According to Moody's, Russian financial reserves enable the country to cope with negative effects of sanctions. 

S & P Global Ratings said sanctions won't materially affect the stability o Russian financial markets.

For the first time in 2020, Russian forex reserves exceeded its dollar assets — their share dropping from over 40% in 2018 to 22% last year.

The share of Russia's international reserves held in the US was cut from 30% in 2014 to 7% last year.

Russia increasingly trades with other nations in euros, rubles and other currencies in lieu of dollar transactions.

Its goal is eliminating use of the greenback altogether.

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

My two Wall Street books are timely reading:

"How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion, and Class War"

https://www.claritypress.com/product/how-wall-street-fleeces-america/

"Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity"

https://www.claritypress.com/product/banker-occupation-waging-financial-war-on-humanity/

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