FP This Week: What’s the real state of the Russian economy?

Plus, Ghana’s disturbing success story. [Foreign Policy This Week]( July 25, 2022 | [View in browser]( To access all the benefits of an FP subscription, [sign in]( or [subscribe](. Thanks for reading. Five months into Russia’s war in Ukraine, misunderstandings persist as to the effects of sanctions on the Russian economy. Yale University’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian identify nine of these in an Argument that was one of FP’s most read this week: “[Actually, the Russian Economy Is Imploding]( Among the myths busted is “Russia can redirect its gas exports and sell to Asia in lieu of Europe.” Not so, Sonnenfeld and Tian say, concluding from their research that “Russia needs world markets far more than the world needs Russian supplies.” The bottom line, according to the authors? Sanctions are working, and it’s no time for allied countries to put on the brakes, because “defeatist headlines arguing that Russia’s economy has bounced back are simply not factual.” Meanwhile, Russia may be pulling ahead of the United States on a different continent. Just as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is in Africa this week visiting Egypt, Uganda, Ethiopia, and the Republic of Congo, [U.S. embassies in Africa are chronically understaffed](. According to State Department data obtained by FP’s Robbie Gramer and Amy Mackinnon, in recent months the U.S. Embassy in Niger, for instance, had over half its posts vacant. In the article’s comments section, open to subscribers for discussion, Charles Ray is not surprised. “As ambassador to Zimbabwe in 2009,” Ray writes, “I was barely [able] to keep up with tasks with the staff during a time of the country’s political transition and could never get a clear, definitive statement of our policy goals in the country during my entire three-year tour.” Should the West decide to rethink its strategy in Africa, FP columnist Howard W. French has some ideas. “[T]here is good reason to worry about the upside prospects of countries that, like Ghana, follow the standard Western development advice over the longer term,” French observes, having recently driven the entire breadth of the country. A “boosterish international discourse,” centered on extractive industries, has been used to “sell structural adjustment and other neoliberal policies as widely as possible on the African continent.” You can [join subscribers]( for an informed and civil debate on this urgent topic in the article’s comments section. --------------------------------------------------------------- New and Noteworthy - Introducing My FP: On Foreign Policy’s redesigned mobile app, subscribers have the option to select topical and regional preferences to generate a personalized feed of the latest stories, as well as save articles to your profile to read on your own time. Plus, listen to all of FP’s podcasts in one place with our new audio player, or tune in to upcoming FP events on the go. You can download or update the FP app on your [Apple]( or [Android]( device. - FP Live On-Demand: In an exclusive interview, FP editor in chief Ravi Agrawal and Nobel laureate Maria Ressa discuss the current and past Philippine administrations, the future of press freedom, and the government-ordered shutdown of Ressa’s media company, Rappler. The full discussion is available [on demand](. Prefer to read a summary of their conversation? Click [here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Best of the Briefings: South Asia Brief Featured in last week’s [briefing]( Pakistan’s new government suffered another setback, Sri Lanka’s Parliament appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as president, and Bhutan announced changes to its tourism policy. Every Thursday, FP’s Michael Kugelman brings you news and analysis from India and its neighboring countries in South Asia. [Sign up to receive South Asia Brief](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Most Popular on FP - [Actually, the Russian Economy Is Imploding]( By Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian - [U.S. Embassies in Africa Are Chronically Short-Staffed]( By Robbie Gramer and Amy Mackinnon - [Iran Stands to Lose the Most if the Nuclear Deal Isn’t Revived]( By Esfandyar Batmanghelidj and Ellie Geranmayeh - [NATO Is a Luxury Good the United States Doesn’t Need]( By Justin Logan - [Ghana’s ‘Success’ Exposes the West’s Toxic Development Model]( By Howard W. French --------------------------------------------------------------- From Around FP - Media Crackdown: Last week, foreign correspondent and FP columnist Lynne O’Donnell was [detained and abused by Taliban intelligence]( agents for three days because of her reporting for the magazine. She was threatened with imprisonment and forced to apologize and renounce articles including those she wrote about the rise in [forced marriage and sex slavery]( under the Taliban and the dangers faced by [LGBTQ Afghans](. She has since been released. - Uniting Against Corruption: As global crises create new opportunities for exploitation and authoritarian abuse, democratic defenders across the world are citing corruption as one of the key issues plaguing modern democracy. Last week, FP partnered with the National Democratic Institute to host global experts, civic leaders, and officials for a conversation addressing how collective steps can combat these illicit influences. You can watch the recording [here](. Are you interested in learning more about FP Analytics’ cutting-edge research services, hosting an FP Virtual Dialogue event, or building a podcast with FP Studios? [Explore partnership opportunities](. 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