DISINFO: Western sanctions have no significant impact on Russian economy
SUMMARY
Western sanctions have 'no significant impact' on the Russian economy, the EU’s sanctions envoy has said, ahead of the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
David O’Sullivan, a former Irish civil servant, said the sanctions were 'not a silver bullet' and would always be circumvented, insisting that after four years he was convinced they had no real effect. 'I’m quite optimistic. I think the sanctions haven’t really had any significant impact on the Russian economy,' he told the Guardian in a rare interview.
RESPONSE
Pro‑Kremlin outlets circulated an altered quote to support a disinformation narrative about Western sanctions policy. The real quote is:
Western sanctions are having a 'significant impact' on the Russian economy, the EU’s sanctions envoy has said, ahead of the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
David O’Sullivan, a veteran Irish official, said sanctions were 'not a silver bullet' and would always face circumvention, but insisted that after four years he was confident they were having an effect.
'I am fairly bullish. I think that the sanctions have really had a significant impact on the Russian economy,' he told the Guardian.
The quote was twisted 180°, turning its meaning into the exact opposite of what appears in the Guardian article, which is publicly available.
To learn more about restrictive measures against Russia read the dedicated page of the European council of the EU, or the page from the European External Action Service (EEAS) or the summarised map by the European Commission.
Read also related cases such as: Fresh EU sanctions are a gesture for the media and show submission to the US, or The EU has forced through yet another package of illegitimate sanctions, or EU experts warn the European Commission: sanctions on Russia are self-harming, or Sanctions made the Russian economy stronger, or New sanctions prove that the EU is racist and colonialist, or Russia proves the great strength of its economy.