"The global aerospace industry is dependent on Russian production,” observed an anonymous Russian mining industry expert. As long as there are no sanctions on titanium, aircraft manufacturers will continue to build up stocks in anticipation of possible restrictions.
For others, this European inertia is seen as a grave mistake. “We have had enough time to react,” lamented Roland Papp, an expert in illicit financial flows at the NGO Transparency International. The annexation of Crimea dates back to 2014, the invasion of Georgia to 2008, 15 years ago. And what have we done? We have increased our dependence on Russia. That was a serious mistake”.
We shouldn’t forget that the west successfully increased Russia’s dependence on western money. The sanction is working despite everybody’s frustration at its slowness.
If Russia were more independent from western money, we would have fewer power to deter dictatorships. Look how Xi is observing the war.