Twelve Charts This Week - 2/23/2024

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As we have discussed previously on this page, sanctions imposed on Russia have been ineffective. There are so many loopholes and so many parties willing to help Russia circumvent sanctions that their effect has so far been close to nil in terms of economics or war-waging capabilities. Last year, Russian GDP rose more than any of the G7 countries’. Economist Robin Brooks has highlighted in the past the SURGE IN TRADE THAT RUSSIA’S NEIGHBORS HAVE EXPERIENCED since the start of the Ukraine war. Brooks shows this again with the charts below for these four former Soviet republics. In some cases, the trading is directly with Russia (black lines). In others, it is with countries that are friendly to Russia (blue). In either case, the destination is Russia. (via @robin_j_brooks)