By Bond Robertson 
Western countries and the United States have now agreed to harsh economic sanctions against Russia. But at the same time, questions are being asked about the impact of this Penalties you will get.
A researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Foreign Policy (Nupi), Pernel Reker, claims that the sanctions, imposed in 2014, have not led to significant changes.
We haven’t seen any changes in Russian politics. We can’t say it worked yet. Then he’s asked if stronger punishments will work, I doubt a little, Riker tells NRK.
The sanctions target 27 financial institutions and individuals, which the United States and the European Union believe undermine Ukraine’s integrity.
Pernell Riecker is a researcher at Nupi.
Photo: Marte Christensen / NTB
open for dialogue
But she stresses that the reactions from the Russian side indicate that they do not intend to stop.
It is important that the West agree to these sanctions and show that what Russia has done now is unacceptable, says Reeker.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store’s sanction record has cost both ways when normal economic trade stops.
– We believe that in 2014 and 2015 it became important for parts of the salmon export, as there were markets that were closed again in adverse reactions from the Russian side, Storr notes.
Foreign Minister Anniken Heitfeldt believes it is too early to say what the short-term impact of the sanctions will be.
What distinguishes sanctions today, Heutfeldt says, is that they are more targeted.
Map of eastern Ukraine showing rebel-held areas as well as the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
New troops in place
At the same time, Vladimir Putin warned in a new video that the door remains open to talk with the West and Ukraine about peaceful solutions.
“But our country is always open to direct and honest dialogue, trying to find diplomatic solutions to the most complex problems,” Putin said in the video.
But satellite images from a US company show a new deployment of more than 100 military vehicles in southern Belarus, towards the border with Ukraine, Reuters reports.
In addition, the photo from Maxar Technologies shows dozens of new military tents in the area, writes news agency. Photo from the same air base taken on February 4, showing no such vehicles or tents.
Reuters did not verify the image from the company, which has been following the Russian escalation for weeks.
Is it dangerous to travel to Eastern Europe? Could we witness a new refugee crisis? If you have more questions about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, you can watch Urix’s episode on the topic here: https://tv.nrk.no/serie/urix
The biggest since the war
Russian power-building around Ukraine has been going on for several weeks. NATO has called it the largest military rearmament since the Cold War.
It is estimated that 150,000 soldiers were gathered from the western part along the northern, eastern and southern borders of Ukraine
Russia on Monday recognized the breakaway republics of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine as independent states.
President Vladimir Putin also announced the deployment of “peacekeepers,” and on Tuesday gave Russia’s elected representatives a clear signal that Russian forces could use military force beyond Russia’s borders.
US President Joe Biden described it as “the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine”.