Western Sanctions Work in a Way: Wealthy Russians Selling Yachts Before West Can Seize Them

Paul Goble

            Staunton, November 29 – Aleksandr Mamut and Vasily Anisimov, listed by Forbes as the 42^nd and 68^th richest Russians, have just sold their yachts out of fears that if they did not do so, Western governments will impound or seize them outright (primechaniya.ru/home/news/noyabr-2018/rossijskie-oligarhi-speshno-rasprodayut-svoi-superyahty-opasayas-ih-aresta/).

            That Russia’s richest are able to take such steps, of course, reflects the fact that Western governments instead of imposing sanctions quickly, have in almost every case signaled their intentions well in advance allowing the richest Russians to escape the losses that they should with justice suffer.

            A more serious sanctions regime would be imposed quickly and even unexpectedly so that those who have been the most guilty of exploiting the system would not be able to escape. At the very least, Western governments and Western publics should focus on this problem lest the greatest criminals once again escape punishment.