DISINFO: The West has targeted Russia with sanctions to make a regime-change in Russia possible
SUMMARY
Since 2014, the West has targeted Russia with sanctions with the aim of slowing economic growth in order to create discontent among the Russian population, which should make a regime change possible.
RESPONSE
This claim is a conspiracy consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin narratives about the West's anti-Russian activities and sanctions. Since March 2014, the EU has progressively imposed restrictive measures against Russia, however, the aim of the sanctions is not to make a regime-change in Russia possible. The measures were adopted in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and the deliberate destabilisation of Ukraine. This claim is part of the pro-Kremlin media's ongoing disinformation efforts to delegitimise EU sanctions against Russia, which were initially a response to Russia's annexation of Crimea. According to international law, Crimea is part of Ukraine. Russia violated international law as well as the key principles of the European security framework by illegally annexing the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol. Further reading on the Russian narrative about ineffective Western sanctions by StopFake. More cases related to sanctions are available here.