Sanctions on Russia (Smokey Bear)

International sanctions were imposed in 2014 after the beginining of the Ukranian crisis and the Belorussian protests in which Russian troops occupied much of the country. The sanctions were imposed by the US, EU along with other countries and organisation on Russia and Belarus as a whole. Russia and Belarus responded with sanctions in retalitation.

The sanctions by the European Union among other states lapsed in effect after the Russian invasion of Europe though sanctions contuined to 2019 by the US. The sanctions contributed to the worsening off the Russian financial crisis and precipitated the Russian invasion of Europe. Russia lost billions in lost export revenues and due to the collaspe of the stock market.

While sanctions largely contuined the same as a result of actions in the Crimea and Eastern Ukraine up until September with Russian troops being sent into Belarus and using force to suppress the demonstrations the House of Representatives drafted a bill to completely embargo Russia until they withdraw from Belarus on the 22nd September 2014 and it moved quickly both through the House and Senate by the 9th October 2014, President Obama signed the bill into law. On the 12th October 2014 at a meeting of the European Council in Brussels, European leaders agreed to a 50% tariff on all Russian exports and restrict financial transactions as well as travel until Russian troops withdrew from Belarus. While a number of nations such as Greece, Italty and Hungary were opposed to sanctions and argued vehmently against them nations border Belarus such as Poland and the Baltic states threatened to withdraw from the EU if stronger action was not taken against Russia and this pushed German and French leaders to agree to tough sanctions.