In your opinion, what do you mean by a “customs union”? Generally, it is a structure, which assumes a unified economic area without customs checkpoints. Theoretically, it’s good in terms of free turnover of goods between countries and cooperation. In this “Russian” Customs Union, everything gets a different shade, because the political motives by the initiator of this Union prevail the economic ones.
On the background of aggravation of relations between Russia and the West, the meaning of this purely economic component is increasing. Failing to achieve agreement on Ukraine, they began exercising sanctions against each other.
The first step was made by the West. I had already had the chance to write that its efficiency will be very low. If the far away objective is to overthrow the Putin regime or destroy Russia, then it will not happen. This country has resources thought bad, poor, cut off from the world, having no technological advances but to survive for decades (for instances, 70 years), constantly instigating conflicts and washing the brains of its own citizens with a psychology of “international conspiracy” and “besieged fortress”.
But Russia’s response, “food” sanctions, are more absurd. First, it is one thing when the business communities standing close to the Kremlin are “punished” as it is done by the West. It is quite different thing when you’re banning the access of food to your country by one way or another depriving your citizens of some products.
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However, let’s leave aside the moral aspect and look at the question purely from pragmatic point of view. The Western food does not pass through the Russian customs checkpoints? Very well. But it passes through Kazakhstan and Belarus customs checkpoints, doesn’t it? And these countries have announced that they do not join the “food sanctions”. And, as I understand, there is no Kazakh – Russian or Belarusian – Russian border checkpoint. What would prevent bringing the same products with Kazakh or Belarus packaging and selling in Russia? It turns out that in this case, these sanctions become meaningless, and may hit the Russian economy.
Germany and, let’s say, Luxembourg are different by their weight categories, both economically and politically. But Germany cannot independently decide on sanctions, not only because it is contrary to EU laws, but also by purely pragmatic reasons. In Germany, a “banned” item will have an access to Luxembourg, and there is no mechanism to prevent its access to Germany. Necessarily, these types of measures are agreed by all 28 EU countries. Russia agrees on nothing with anyone. And you know why.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
