Putin’s assets are highly secretive to sanctions

Despite sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States on several Russian politicians, banks and companies, the president has escaped. This is because they do not know what assets Putin owns and how they are controlled, says Carl Fridh Kleberg, SVT’s foreign correspondent.

– He says it is very difficult to find it and impose sanctions on them.

The Guardians’ David Smith writes that US sanctions may be weak for strategic reasons. He believes that if barriers are introduced too soon they will lose their preventive effect.

“If someone is being punished for something they have never done, they can easily do it,” he writes.

Tom McDougall of the Atlantic writes that Britain has very little to say about what sanctions it can impose.

“They can seize the assets of Russian oligarchs in the country, but the Russian government can use London’s strong legal system to prevent it,” he writes.

Related Links:

Carl Frith Kleberg: Putin’s assets are well hidden (Swedish television)

David Smith: So retreating can be strategic (www.theguardian.com)

Tom McTague: The question of how the West can handle tighter controls (www.theatlantic.com)

Read more about Russian threats on Omni