I would like tentatively to share the analysis and insights dated April 7, of Mr. David Asher, a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. His work focuses on U.S. foreign policy in Asia, global macro strategy, economic and financial policy toward U.S. state adversaries, strategic law enforcement, and high technology development.
His commentary originally appeared in the Financial Times.
U.S. deputy Treasury secretary Wally Adeyemo toured Europe last month on a drive to strengthen EU sanctions and bolster asset-freezing measures against Vladimir Putin and his nomenklatura.
His message to Moscow’s enablers was clear: “to anyone who may be in a position to help Russia take advantage and evade our sanctions . . . we will come and we will find you,” he warned. But even in the face of unprecedented economic pressure, much of Putin’s financial network remains functional.
Financial punishment, no matter how extensive, won’t achieve our objectives unless it targets Putin himself.
The U.S. and its allies need a financial warfare strategy that goes beyond sanctions, using all the levers of state to put the Russian president’s “palace economy” out of business.
