The existing sanctions against Russia currently rate only a "three" on a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of effectiveness, and there is significant potential for strengthening them, particularly due to new restrictions on oil production and export.
As reported by The New York Post, Kit Kellogg emphasized that Russia has previously sacrificed its military in battles, disregarding substantial losses, and now economic pressure is a crucial tool for achieving peace. According to him, reliance solely on military actions is insufficient, as diplomatic and economic means of pressure are also necessary to end the conflict.
"Sanctions can indeed be strengthened – especially the recent ones [targeting oil production and export]," he noted.
In the view of the special representative, the war in Ukraine cannot conclude without negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, and both sides must be prepared to make concessions.
"Frankly speaking, in any negotiations both sides must compromise; that’s how negotiations work. Will this be acceptable to everyone? No. But you try to find a balance," Kellogg added.
Interestingly, at the recent Munich Security Conference in Germany, Kit Kellogg will present a plan for resolving the conflict in Ukraine. It preliminarily involves freezing the war along the current front line, leaving occupied territories in an uncertain state, and providing Ukraine with security guarantees.
Source: nypost.