Novorossiysk, one of the largest port cities in Russia. File photo.
When the Russian special military operation in Ukraine began, US President Joe Biden promised to isolate and “cripple” the Russian economy, yet Moscow has been able to maintain its economic strength, thanks in part to exporting more than $1 billion per month worth of wood, metals, food, and other goods to the US.
According to statistics cited by AP, more than 3,600 Russian ships have docked at US ports since February 24. While compared to last year, shipments have halved, it still amounts to more than $6 billion in imports. “The amount of Russian products entering US ports suggests that Biden is not fulfilling his promise to isolate the economy of Moscow,” notes The Libertarian Institute.
While many of the products that arrived had been ordered before the blockade, others continued to enter the country long after the White House announced “sanctions” on those products, including oil and gas. Paradoxically, other Russian imports, such as fertilizers, came at the request of the Biden administration, which, meanwhile, continued to urge US companies to make up the shortage.
American and European companies have also been found to be importing millions of dollars worth of metal from a Russian company that makes parts for Moscow’s fighter jets, revealing another bizarre discrepancy in Biden’s sanctions campaign.
Although the blockade was meant to impair Moscow’s military might and bring Russia to the negotiating table, it has had little success so far. With Russian energy exports surpassing prewar levels in recent months and the ruble rallying against the dollar, Russia’s economy has fared much better than much of Europe since fighting broke out last winter.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/KZ/SL
