Sanctions are hitting hard enough to hurt Russia, if not stop it
Sanctions have affected many aspects of life in Russia, but one particular shortage has sent the wealthy elite into a spin: beauty clinics are running out of Botox.
The business daily newspaper Kommersant reported this month that Botox imports saw a threefold drop to 74,500 units in the period between January and March compared with the same time last year, after one western manufacturer stopped exporting to Russia.
While the beauty industry is a small cog in the machine, the decision by western allies to sever financial and trade ties with Russia has plunged the countrys economy into a deep recession, with the OECD forecasting a 10% contraction this year and a fall of more than 4% in 2023.
Sanctions have not halted the military assault, but some are now asking whether a promise to lift them could bring Russia to the negotiating table: a return to global markets, in exchange for peace in Ukraine. The British foreign secretary, Liz Truss, held out such a prospect in March, when she suggested Britain could lift sanctions if Russia commits to a full ceasefire and withdrawal, with a promise of no further aggression.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/sanctions-are-hitting-hard-enough-to-hurt-russia-if-not-stop-it/ar-AAYlN9z