Consider Russia\u2019s 1998 financial crisis. In August of that year, then-President Boris Yeltsin declared, \u201cThere will be no devaluation \u2013 that is firm and definite.\u201d Three days later, the ruble was devalued, and Russian financial markets went into a tailspin. With capital pouring out of the country, the Russian government was forced to restructure its debt, and the economy entered a deep recession.<\/p>\n
Though Russia was relatively insignificant financially, its crisis had far-reaching consequences. Among the worst affected was Argentina; the Russian crisis exacerbated a decline in investors\u2019 confidence in emerging markets that culminated in Argentina\u2019s sovereign default less than four years later. Even the US and Europe were not immune, with the collapse of the major hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management (LTCM) fueling anxiety about the viability of many other financial institutions.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s financial dramas bear a striking resemblance to this experience. Argentina has technically defaulted; American and European financial institutions and markets are jittery; and Russia is promising that the sanctions it faces will have no impact on its economy.<\/p>\n
The most obvious similarity is Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s assertions that his country can weather any and all Western sanctions. That may be wishful thinking. In fact, barring most major Russian banks from operating freely in Western capital markets could affect the entire Russian economy, not just the banks themselves. And the central bank\u2019s decisioin to raise interest rates to buttress the ruble may lead to much tighter credit conditions for companies and households, pushing the Russian economy into recession this year and next.<\/p>\n
The problem with financial sanctions is that no one knows precisely how they will unfold \u2013 especially in an economy as large as Russia\u2019s. If they prove to be more effective than intended, they will pose a serious threat to global financial stability.<\/p>\n
Europe\u2019s banks have extended almost \u20ac200 billion ($268 billion) in loans to Russian institutions and firms, and hold a significant share of Russia\u2019s euro-denominated assets, making them especially vulnerable. Having just emerged from a deep recession, financial disruptions could easily cause Europe to slide back into recession.<\/p>\n
Compounding the problem, no one truly understands the precise connections among Russian and European institutions and markets. The collapse of LTCM in 1998 was completely unexpected. Is Europe today prepared to deal with a similar failure of an important financial institution?<\/p>\n
The financial sanctions on Russia are not targeted, temporary, or fully credible. If they affect Russia\u2019s entire economy, hitting ordinary citizens the hardest, popular support for Putin\u2019s regime may solidify further. Of course, an economic slowdown could erode Putin\u2019s popular support, which is based on the gains in living standards made under his leadership. In that case, Putin\u2019s response could be even more damaging.<\/p>\n
Another problem is that implementing sanctions that cannot be reversed quickly removes the incentive for Russia to return to the negotiating table, especially because the threat of an escalation of financial sanctions lacks credibility, given the risk to European and US financial stability.<\/p>\n
Once these sanctions begin to bite, no one can say who will be hurt \u2013 or how badly. And, as Russia\u2019s experience in 1998, and Argentina\u2019s after 2002, demonstrated, the process of restoring confidence among market participants is a long and painful one.<\/p>\n
These concerns do not mean that the US and the EU should not impose sanctions on Russia for its illegal annexation of Crimea and continuing efforts to destabilize eastern Ukraine. But sanctions that hit the real side of the Russian economy \u2013 such as energy, natural resources, and the military \u2013 could provide a better solution. Though such sanctions may not work as quickly, they would be targeted, temporary, and credible, enabling the US and Europe to control \u2013 and adjust \u2013 the impact on the Russian leadership and economy.<\/p>\n
In any case, US and European leaders must recognize that all sanctions will have costs \u2013 many of them unexpected \u2013 for both sides. If they are not willing to risk global financial stability in an unpredictable game of chicken with Putin, perhaps it would be wise to re-think the composition of the sanctions that they impose.<\/p>\n
Marcel Fratzcher writes:\u00a0 With the crisis in Ukraine intensifying, the United States and the European Union are locked in a battle of wills \u2013 and sanctions \u2013 with Russia. Indeed, in retaliation for the intensification of Western financial sanctions, Russia … Continue reading ![\"Sanctions\"](\"http:\/\/www.w-t-w.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Sanctions-300x183.jpg\")
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