The biter bit: The sanctions on Russia are beginning to hurt buyers now

All things considered, might it have been better and cheaper, shed less blood, and avoided a huge refugee problem if Russia had been allowed a buffer zone in Eastern Europe, wonders T N Ninan

Wars don’t come free. As the one in Ukraine grinds on into its third month, country after country is waking up to its costs. The desire to punish Russia for violating a neighbour’s territorial integrity is backed by high principle. And the unprecedented sanctions regime that the Western powers have imposed targets the seller/aggressor. But every seller has a buyer, and the impact of the sanctions on buyers is beginning to tell. Before Vladimir Putin is brought to heel, there is likely to be economic and possibly political turmoil in countries across the world — including India.
 
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