World Imposed Sanctions Against Russia Over Ukraine, This Man Explains What They Really Mean To Russia
Interview
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has united the West like never before in its outrage, condemnation of Putin, as well as support for Kyiv. The severity of the sanctions against the Kremlin is unseen on an international level. And the economic consequences—which are already noticeable—are going to be even more severe.
Phillip Ritz, an environment scientist at Columbia University, recently went viral after posting a video on TikTok where he referred to some of the ideas put forth by Maxim Mironov, a professor of finance at the University of Chicago. Maxim analyzed what some of the short-term and long-term consequences of these economic sanctions will be like for Russia.
In short, the sanctions are going to have huge effects and will affect the Kremlin on every level. The hope is that this will weaken Russia’s further ability to wage war in Ukraine and may even lead to a regime change. Scroll down to read Phil and Maxim’s thoughts, Pandas.
Bored Panda got in touch with Phil to get his opinion about the sanctions and the war. He told us that the “sanctions might take too long for Ukraine.”
He also opened up about propaganda and ‘astroturfing’ (where people or bots pretend that their opinions and comments are genuine in order to sway public opinion) on social media, specifically on Twitter and TikTok, proposing a number of ways how this issue could be fixed. What’s more, he stressed the important role that influencers play in spreading information about the invasion, even if they’re not foreign policy or international relations experts themselves.
More info: TikTok | Twitter | Instagram
Phil Ritz voiced some of the thoughts shared by Maxim Mironov about the effects that the economic sanctions will likely have on Putin and Russia
Image credits: philritz1
Image credits: silverguru22
Image credits: Indira-Gandhi
Image credits: The Telegraph
Ikea has announced that it’s pausing operations in Russia and Belarus
Image credits: novaya_gazeta
Image credits: novaya_gazeta
Image credits: novaya_gazeta
Image credits: ukrpravda_news
Phil told Bored Panda that there are a lot of “climate denier comments” on Twitter and TikTok. “So many that I looked into astroturfing, a big marketing campaign where you can steer public option with a flood of comments,” he told Bored Panda.
“When talking about astroturfing, I mentioned Russia, and a flood of pro-Russia comments appeared. From empty profiles, and what they said sounded a bit like talking points from someone a little older,” he gave an example of how astroturfers operate.
One of the things that can be done to limit the non-genuine comments, according to Phil, would be for TikTok to ask everyone to use their real names on the platform. Meanwhile, brand new accounts could be banned from commenting. Something else that could help would be to only allow comments from accounts with original videos.
“Most pro-Russian comments are from empty profiles, [with] few followers, no videos or reused/stolen videos,” he shared with us. However, he added that some of these accounts are from “legit, real people.”
“TikTok wants engagement—and that’s the Facebook problem. In a war, war videos become popular. Does TikTok ‘censor’ war to keep the app happy and avoid arguments in the comments? That would backfire—TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company. The optics would be bad for TikTok—it’s censoring! So they are in a tough spot.”
Phil noted that influencers “see a ton of engagement when they mention Russia.” However, influencers can help spread awareness of what’s going on by sharing real, hard-hitting analyses. “Most of us have no business talking about the Ukraine invasion. BUT [American political scienetist] John Mearsheimer doesn’t do daily TikTok posts, nor does the Council of Foreign Relations, and Foreign Policy magazine isn’t on TikTok.”
He noted that Americans “aren’t taught foreign policy in high school. Many have no clue what NATO does, or what a switch from a unipolar world to a multipolar world will be like.”
One of the things that Phil is considering is taking an article from Foreign Affairs on the basics of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine and mentioning the author, title, and reading them, “in the hopes of getting some simple basic explainers out there.”
You can watch Phil’s full viral video right over here
@philritz1 #ukraine #sanctions #MaximMironov ♬ original sound – 🇺🇦❤️NYC Sustainability Phil
According to Phil and Maxim, the sanctions will lead to a widespread scarcity of basic goods—not just luxury ones—in Russia. Meanwhile, entire industries might be severely limited or might have to shut down entirely if they’re too reliant on foreign exports… which very few countries will provide.
The economic, technological, and even cultural isolation will lead to sharp rises in prices and high unemployment levels. The latter will, in turn, reduce the amount of money the Russian regime is getting via taxation. And that will impact public officials, as well as the country’s ability to do, well, everything and anything.
The BBC reports that the economic sanctions imposed by the West are already having a direct effect on Russia. “Ordinary Russians face seeing their savings wiped out. Their lives are already being disrupted. The sanctions against some Russian banks include cutting them off from Visa and Mastercard, and consequently Apple Pay and Google Pay.”
In terms of financial sanctions, the West has frozen the assets of Russia’s central bank and in such a way limited its ability to access $630 billion of its dollar reserves. The BBC notes that the US, the EU, and the UK have banned businesses and people from dealing with the Russian central bank, its finance ministry, as well as its wealth fund.
Meanwhile, some Russian banks are being removed from SWIFT, which means that the payments that Russia gets for its oil and gas exports will be delayed.
The EU is targeting around 70% of the Russian banking market and key state-owned firms, including defense firms, with its sanctions, the BBC writes.
What’s more, the UK has stopped major Russian banks from clearing payments, plans to freeze all their assets, and will stop them from borrowing money on UK markets. Additionally, Russians making deposits at British banks will have limits placed on them.
Some of the other major sanctions include limits on products being sent to Russia, like chemicals, lasers, aircraft, and their spare parts. In other words, what’s being limited are products that could be used by civilians and the military alike.
Germany has put a stop to the opening of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, while the West is banning Russian flights over their territories. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and various oligarchs are also the targets of sanctions. Their assets are being identified for freezing.
Joseph M. Pierre, a professor of psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, recently explained to Bored Panda how we can fight back against Russian misinformation and propaganda online.
“The most evidence-based intervention for misinformation is ‘inoculation’ or ‘pre-bunking’ that beats misinformation to the punch. In other words, rather than only trying to cut misinformation off at its source, there’s a need to warn people about misinformation that’s out there, ideally before they ever see it,” he said. Here is an example of this inoculation strategy in use.
Dr. Pierre said that “holy trinity of truth detection” is made up of three pillars that include intellectual humility, cognitive flexibility, and analytical thinking. He went into detail about all three.
“Intellectual humility is about acknowledging that we can always be wrong and that all of our beliefs should be thought of as probability judgments, not absolutes,” he said.
“Cognitive flexibility means being able to take on other points of view and if not necessarily believing different perspectives, then at least being able to understand where they’re coming from,” Dr. Pierre added.
He continued: “Analytical thinking is […] really about slowing down and thinking skeptically before accepting information that represents what we want to believe at face value. Thanks to confirmation bias and motivated reasoning, we’re great at disbelieving the things we don’t want to believe—analytical thinking means also considering that we should disbelieve the things that we do want to believe or that confirm our preexisting beliefs and intuitions.”
According to the expert, one way to practice our analytical thinking is “by slowing down, being skeptical, and verifying before we click, share, or re-tweet.”
Meanwhile, media specialist Mike Sington explained to Bored Panda that ‘big tech’ is doing everything that it can to root our Russian propaganda on social media.
“Know that big tech is now taking active steps to minimize or eliminate Russian propaganda from all the major social media platforms. This ranges from Facebook and Instagram blocking Russian state-run media and actively stopping disinformation campaigns, to Twitter, which is removing manipulated content, and adding warning labels to Russian state-affiliated media,” he explained to us.
Here’s how some people reacted after they saw the video
Too bad. Putin has to go and the Russian people have to do it. They are the only ones who can do it without the nukes starting to fly. I live in the Baltics. It has taken 30 years to tolerate/trust the Russians. That mistake will never be made again. Putin threw that away the second his troops went over the border. As long as him and his cronies are in charge then Russia will remain a pariah. And even if they do get rid of him there will be a lot of scrutiny of the new guys for decades. Revolution. Again. But better.
True, as a finn who was not alive during winter war, whose parents werent alive during winter war, whose grandparents, most of them were not alive during that war.. I still always had trust issues against Russian government and maybe even against some of the Russian people, but I never really thought that during my life time there would ever be conflict with them.. now I think no matter how things go with Ukraine, I will never trust them to not do the same s**t against us even during my life time.
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I've just texted with a Russian friend living abroad. Her mom is running out of money in Moscow. She wants Putin death. She has Ukrainian friends too and gets all the videos and reports first hand. She sees suffering of the small people in both countries - and it seems both Russian and Ukrainian people hate Putin.
People with money have power. They decide what future they want. They spend to see it happen. Some use Orwell's 1984 as a guidebook instead of a warning. Result: Putinists and Trumpists and pro-(fill in dictator)s. Wrap it in the word "patriotism" and there go some more otherwise sane humans. I spare exactly the same pity for Putin's loyalists/believers as I do for Trump's, which is to say: none. They kill others and don't care, be it through invasions or defiance of anti-pandemic measures. If only they were the only ones to rot... *sigh*
That's the problem. The normal everyday Russian will be hit hard. The rich / loyalists will be hit but not as hard. They can afford to pay $15.00 for bread or whatever. These sanctions will hurt an innocent people. I understand it's necessary but it's still a shitty thing to do for those normal hardworking souls.
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The problem with sanctions is that it really only affects people on the street. Putin couldn't care less about sanctions, it's the regular people of Russia who are against the war that are going to suffer. There isn't a single instance in history when sanctions achieved anything. Cuba had been under sanctions for 70 years for example. It's the people that suffer, not the regime.
If the people are suffering the regime will suffer. That has been shown all through history.
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The sacntions are hurting everybody a quarter of a million jobs are affected n my country. But they are the only thing we can do to hopefully stop a madman whose country had let him get too powerfull.
This post is written as if the whole world is blocking Russia, which is NOT true. (China, Pakistan, etc)
While I agree, those countries cannot provide everything Russia needs. China is the winner in this. They can stock up on Russian goods, plus they can still trade. They are always thinking one century ahead. They are stockpiling and getting monopolies on everything they can. Look at rare earth elements.
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There's been panic buying at IKEA in Russia because they're ceasing trading there (and a closing down sale).
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It's always the regular people who suffer while the ones making decisions and planning wars sit in their comfortable mansions knowing they'll never go hungry or freeze. It's disgusting. These "leaders" should fight it out between themselves and leave the people in peace
You do have to feel for the innocent men / woman on either side of this pathetic invasion, lost jobs / income / roofs over their head. Impacting the wider worlds pocket too with fuel and heating, heart-breaking to see the kids saying bye to their dads. Meanwhile the rich retreat to their multi million homes!
Putin dreamed of the "greatness" of the former USSR. It will be served. But I can't help thinking of all those Russians who don't support him at all, didn't want this war and who are going to pay the consequences anyway, and certainly long before (and I hope after) him.
Same thing happened in South Africa. Most english speaking people did not support the apartheid govetnment (even though they benefited from it, and many were still racist). The fact is they suffered for not overthrowing it, or helping overhtrow it, when the west imposed sanctions in 1986.
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My husband is a Fed Ex pilot , UPS and Fed Ex aren't delivering to Russia anymore . I feel terrible for the Russian people stuck there . They didn't choose this
I find it so troubling that countries can allow certain people to rule them, allow them to accumulate riches and assume more and more power, and their only world changing idea is to see how many people they can oppress or murder. Who are these sociopaths?
The positive effect, even if Putin doesn't get overthrown, it will definitely reduce Russia's ability to project power in coming years, so they can't keep invading other countries.
The thing is this blockade is not dissimilar to what went on in USSR time, are their enough Russians to remember and make do with what they have? It wasn't that long ago. As for potatoes, you take a potato and each eye is a new potato. I have mixed feelings, that I want them to be successful in make-do culture and I also want Putin to have extreme backlash from his people.
It's a different world today than it was in the heyday of the USSR. Electronics are used in everything now. EVERY country is reliant on trade, if they are to be considered "first world".
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Well it’s the only way to get rid of him. The alternative is the UK sneaks up on you with Sub after todays threats and starts yeeting Tridents into your biggest cities turning them into overdone BBQ because that’s the alternative
There’s a few things I’ve not heard discussed in all this. 1) what’s the west’s exit plan? Meaning “what does Putin have to do to stop the sanctions”? I suspect it’s extreme and Putin won’t do it. So…2) if #1 won’t happen, then what? Russia’s just permanently locked out? If that, then… 3) global economies are more complicated than this just affecting Russia. This will have wide ranging ripples through the global (and thus your countries economy). This is going to hurt everyone.
What do we do to stop Putin? That is the question. Once that is answered I want to see it happen. I see we talk about problems and solutions. Yet we don't put any action to it. I wonder why that is?
the people suffer? good. the more they'd sufferd the more angry they'd mad against putin. that's sad but it's the only way. you can't send, the British, the French or the German to Russia it would give the justification to putin to deploy his Nuclear missile. it's the people who put putin there? it's up to them to get rid of him. They did it with the Tsar the can do it again
I'm trying to find the words to respond to this without contributing to any more arguing or fighting. I am a Russian-born person. Your words hurt me. Russian people have been fighting against Putin and his regime for decades. They've been going to prison and even getting killed. Why does the West think that Russians aren't fighting? Why is the West so ready to let regular Russians suffer and say, it's fine for Russian people to suffer? Why should my elderly grandmother, whose grandfather got killed for standing up to Communists, suffer? Why should my 15 yo cousin, who has never known another leader, suffer? Why does the West have so little empathy for regular Russian people who do not want a war? You say it's the only way for democracy, okay fine. But you also say it's "good" if Russians suffer - which is just disturbing, frankly. There is nothing good about the suffering of regular innocent people.
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Russia will do just fine. They control the market on 17 minerals, supply Europe with hydrocarbons and have a hungry China to trade with. Israel and India are picking up trade w Russia since the start of Ukraine.
I believe most people do not want the general public to suffer. Russia could do well AND leave other countries alone. It's not mutually exclusive.
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How do we know removing Putin hasn't been the plan all along, and since he was on his way out they may as well invade Ukraine and blame it on him and let that be the ostensible reason for his removal, and gain Ukraine territory in the process? Would explain his change in demeanor, his strings being pulled, possibly blackmailed to make this ruse happen. Then the world sees him kicked out and we are placated, while Russia winds up with Ukraine. Just cause they're Russian doesn't mean they're stupid.
Russia did this to itself. There gonna feel the pain they caused Ukraine.
The Russian people did not do this to themselves. They do not deserve to suffer because of one tyrannic lunatic and his cronies.
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Wishful thinking as the world is much bigger than the west alone. Russia will have not so much problems selling its oil and gas under current market prices. And commodities and spare parts will flow their way through Asia.
"I dopn't want to pay $10 for gas"... do you think the people in the Ukraine want to DIE?!?!?
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Too bad. Putin has to go and the Russian people have to do it. They are the only ones who can do it without the nukes starting to fly. I live in the Baltics. It has taken 30 years to tolerate/trust the Russians. That mistake will never be made again. Putin threw that away the second his troops went over the border. As long as him and his cronies are in charge then Russia will remain a pariah. And even if they do get rid of him there will be a lot of scrutiny of the new guys for decades. Revolution. Again. But better.
True, as a finn who was not alive during winter war, whose parents werent alive during winter war, whose grandparents, most of them were not alive during that war.. I still always had trust issues against Russian government and maybe even against some of the Russian people, but I never really thought that during my life time there would ever be conflict with them.. now I think no matter how things go with Ukraine, I will never trust them to not do the same s**t against us even during my life time.
Load More Replies... I've just texted with a Russian friend living abroad. Her mom is running out of money in Moscow. She wants Putin death. She has Ukrainian friends too and gets all the videos and reports first hand. She sees suffering of the small people in both countries - and it seems both Russian and Ukrainian people hate Putin.
People with money have power. They decide what future they want. They spend to see it happen. Some use Orwell's 1984 as a guidebook instead of a warning. Result: Putinists and Trumpists and pro-(fill in dictator)s. Wrap it in the word "patriotism" and there go some more otherwise sane humans. I spare exactly the same pity for Putin's loyalists/believers as I do for Trump's, which is to say: none. They kill others and don't care, be it through invasions or defiance of anti-pandemic measures. If only they were the only ones to rot... *sigh*
That's the problem. The normal everyday Russian will be hit hard. The rich / loyalists will be hit but not as hard. They can afford to pay $15.00 for bread or whatever. These sanctions will hurt an innocent people. I understand it's necessary but it's still a shitty thing to do for those normal hardworking souls.
Load More Replies... The problem with sanctions is that it really only affects people on the street. Putin couldn't care less about sanctions, it's the regular people of Russia who are against the war that are going to suffer. There isn't a single instance in history when sanctions achieved anything. Cuba had been under sanctions for 70 years for example. It's the people that suffer, not the regime.
If the people are suffering the regime will suffer. That has been shown all through history.
Load More Replies... The sacntions are hurting everybody a quarter of a million jobs are affected n my country. But they are the only thing we can do to hopefully stop a madman whose country had let him get too powerfull.
This post is written as if the whole world is blocking Russia, which is NOT true. (China, Pakistan, etc)
While I agree, those countries cannot provide everything Russia needs. China is the winner in this. They can stock up on Russian goods, plus they can still trade. They are always thinking one century ahead. They are stockpiling and getting monopolies on everything they can. Look at rare earth elements.
Load More Replies... There's been panic buying at IKEA in Russia because they're ceasing trading there (and a closing down sale).
Load More Replies... It's always the regular people who suffer while the ones making decisions and planning wars sit in their comfortable mansions knowing they'll never go hungry or freeze. It's disgusting. These "leaders" should fight it out between themselves and leave the people in peace
You do have to feel for the innocent men / woman on either side of this pathetic invasion, lost jobs / income / roofs over their head. Impacting the wider worlds pocket too with fuel and heating, heart-breaking to see the kids saying bye to their dads. Meanwhile the rich retreat to their multi million homes!
Putin dreamed of the "greatness" of the former USSR. It will be served. But I can't help thinking of all those Russians who don't support him at all, didn't want this war and who are going to pay the consequences anyway, and certainly long before (and I hope after) him.
Same thing happened in South Africa. Most english speaking people did not support the apartheid govetnment (even though they benefited from it, and many were still racist). The fact is they suffered for not overthrowing it, or helping overhtrow it, when the west imposed sanctions in 1986.
Load More Replies... My husband is a Fed Ex pilot , UPS and Fed Ex aren't delivering to Russia anymore . I feel terrible for the Russian people stuck there . They didn't choose this
I find it so troubling that countries can allow certain people to rule them, allow them to accumulate riches and assume more and more power, and their only world changing idea is to see how many people they can oppress or murder. Who are these sociopaths?
The positive effect, even if Putin doesn't get overthrown, it will definitely reduce Russia's ability to project power in coming years, so they can't keep invading other countries.
The thing is this blockade is not dissimilar to what went on in USSR time, are their enough Russians to remember and make do with what they have? It wasn't that long ago. As for potatoes, you take a potato and each eye is a new potato. I have mixed feelings, that I want them to be successful in make-do culture and I also want Putin to have extreme backlash from his people.
It's a different world today than it was in the heyday of the USSR. Electronics are used in everything now. EVERY country is reliant on trade, if they are to be considered "first world".
Load More Replies... Well it’s the only way to get rid of him. The alternative is the UK sneaks up on you with Sub after todays threats and starts yeeting Tridents into your biggest cities turning them into overdone BBQ because that’s the alternative
There’s a few things I’ve not heard discussed in all this. 1) what’s the west’s exit plan? Meaning “what does Putin have to do to stop the sanctions”? I suspect it’s extreme and Putin won’t do it. So…2) if #1 won’t happen, then what? Russia’s just permanently locked out? If that, then… 3) global economies are more complicated than this just affecting Russia. This will have wide ranging ripples through the global (and thus your countries economy). This is going to hurt everyone.
What do we do to stop Putin? That is the question. Once that is answered I want to see it happen. I see we talk about problems and solutions. Yet we don't put any action to it. I wonder why that is?
the people suffer? good. the more they'd sufferd the more angry they'd mad against putin. that's sad but it's the only way. you can't send, the British, the French or the German to Russia it would give the justification to putin to deploy his Nuclear missile. it's the people who put putin there? it's up to them to get rid of him. They did it with the Tsar the can do it again
I'm trying to find the words to respond to this without contributing to any more arguing or fighting. I am a Russian-born person. Your words hurt me. Russian people have been fighting against Putin and his regime for decades. They've been going to prison and even getting killed. Why does the West think that Russians aren't fighting? Why is the West so ready to let regular Russians suffer and say, it's fine for Russian people to suffer? Why should my elderly grandmother, whose grandfather got killed for standing up to Communists, suffer? Why should my 15 yo cousin, who has never known another leader, suffer? Why does the West have so little empathy for regular Russian people who do not want a war? You say it's the only way for democracy, okay fine. But you also say it's "good" if Russians suffer - which is just disturbing, frankly. There is nothing good about the suffering of regular innocent people.
Load More Replies... Russia will do just fine. They control the market on 17 minerals, supply Europe with hydrocarbons and have a hungry China to trade with. Israel and India are picking up trade w Russia since the start of Ukraine.
I believe most people do not want the general public to suffer. Russia could do well AND leave other countries alone. It's not mutually exclusive.
Load More Replies... How do we know removing Putin hasn't been the plan all along, and since he was on his way out they may as well invade Ukraine and blame it on him and let that be the ostensible reason for his removal, and gain Ukraine territory in the process? Would explain his change in demeanor, his strings being pulled, possibly blackmailed to make this ruse happen. Then the world sees him kicked out and we are placated, while Russia winds up with Ukraine. Just cause they're Russian doesn't mean they're stupid.
Russia did this to itself. There gonna feel the pain they caused Ukraine.
The Russian people did not do this to themselves. They do not deserve to suffer because of one tyrannic lunatic and his cronies.
Load More Replies... Wishful thinking as the world is much bigger than the west alone. Russia will have not so much problems selling its oil and gas under current market prices. And commodities and spare parts will flow their way through Asia.
"I dopn't want to pay $10 for gas"... do you think the people in the Ukraine want to DIE?!?!?
Load More Replies... 
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