Intelligence analyst weighs in on whether sanctions on Russia will work

Western powers are imposing tough sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

While there is some scepticism about whether the sanctions will have any impact, former intelligence analyst David Wright-Neville expects Vladimir Putin will care.

And even if he doesn’t, others who have a lot of sway will.

“I think he will and if he doesn’t, the 23 billionaires who constitute what we call ‘Putin’s wallet’, they certainly will,” Dr Wright-Neville told Neil Mitchell.

“In the last 12 months they’ve lost around $466 billion in terms of their own net wealth because of sanctions imposed because of Russia’s activities elsewhere.

“These people will care if the sanctions do start to bite.

“These will escalate slowly, perhaps culminating eventually with cutting Russia off from the SWIFT international payment system. That would be devastation for the national economy and that would really hurt.”

Dr Wright-Neville thinks Putin has vastly underestimated the price he’ll pay for this conflict.

“I think Russia itself is going to pay a massive price and I think Putin has significantly underestimated what that price will be, both in economic terms but also in terms of the cost of his legitimacy at home,” he said.

Press PLAY below to hear Dr Wright-Neville’s predictions about how the war will play out

‘Putin chose this war’: US and UK step up sanctions as Russian invasion of Ukraine escalates