This brief discusses the effectiveness of Western sanctions on Russia’s energy sector following Moscow’s 2014 intervention in Ukraine. The author explains that although the Russian oil and gas production and exports are unlikely to be significantly affected in the short run, in the long run, as the Russian oil and gas industry loses access to Western technology, the sanctions will likely prove to be more effective. He also contends that the potency of the energy sanctions have the potential to be further enhanced by new punitive measures. …read more