Browder: Sanctions against Russia have not been broken, they have simply not been fully implemented

Position of the Magnitsky Act initiator

British financier and initiator of the Magnitsky Act, Bill Browder, expressed opposition to easing sanctions pressure on Russia with the aim of achieving a peaceful settlement. He stated this view while participating in the Warsaw Security Forum, where he gave an interview to the Ukraine Insights podcast.

According to Browder’s assessment, the current system of restrictions is not ineffective; the problem lies in the fact that the West has not used the full arsenal of available tools. In particular, in his belief, Western countries have not exerted sufficient pressure on buyers of Russian oil. This is why Vladimir Putin still has access to financial resources for conducting hostilities.

The financier drew an analogy between cancelling sanctions because they have not stopped aggression and cancelling a life sentence for murder solely on the grounds that murders continue in society.

Diesel fuel and exemptions for specific individuals

At the same time, Browder does not rule out the possibility of lifting restrictions on specific individuals who have no connection to Russian aggression or war crimes. However, he called the deal on Russian diesel fuel, which Donald Trump announced on 9 October according to reports, scandalous.

Following this decision, the US Department of the Treasury suspended sanctions on this type of fuel until April 2027. This suspension period is the longest since 2022.

The role of the European market

Browder emphasised that the European market is significantly more critical for the Russian economy than the American one. He is convinced that large corporations will not violate sanctions prohibitions. In the financier’s opinion, easing pressure on Moscow without eliminating the primary causes that led to the introduction of restrictions is an unjustified step.