Yesterday, Stockholm Free World Forum hosted a seminar on the Russian economy and propaganda. The seminar was hosted as part of the launch of a new report on the topic by Anders Åslund, senior fellow at the Stockholm Free World Forum. In addition to the report’s author, the panel included Minna Ålander, non-resident senior fellow Stockholm Free World Forum, Johanna Lybeck Lilja, State Secretary to Minister for Finance Elisabeth Svantesson, and Gunnar Hökmark, chairperson Stockholm Free World Forum.
In the report, Anders Åslund analyzes the current state of Russia’s economy based on a range of economic factors. Åslund observes that the sanctions imposed by the West following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine have had a significant adverse impact on the country’s economy. Alongside the war, Russia has experienced substantial capital flight and currency crises, and its economy has now shifted towards a wartime economy, with a negative growth outlook.
Despite these setbacks, Åslund argues that there are areas where the West could do more to weaken Russia’s economy. The report suggests, among other things, that the West substantially raises import tariffs on all Russian goods and re-establishes the Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls to regulate export of high-tech goods to Russia.
Read the report here.
