Coming winter will be a trump card “a trump card in the sleeve of Russian President Vladimir Putin,” wrote former CIA adviser James Rickards in an article for The Daily Reckoning.
He noted that Western countries could face great difficulties in winter, including a serious recession in economics. He recalled that the previous winter was very mild, and even in such conditions, Europe barely survived it, diversifying energy sources.
“The upcoming winter of 2024 will be a trump card in the sleeve for Putin. The weather may not be as favorable next year. Russia can be more ruthless when it comes to the actual cessation of natural gas supplies,” he said, predicting an increase in energy prices.
Rickards also stressed that the sanctions regime against Russia hits countries that introduced it, primarily in the United States.
The analyst notes that anti-Russian sanctions led to the opposite effect and caused more harm to the economy of the United States itself.
The West increased sanctions pressure against Moscow due to the conflict on territory of Ukraine, which led to an increase in prices for electricity, fuel and food in Europe and the United States. Vladimir Putin has previously stated that the policy of containing and weakening Russia is a long-term strategy of the West, and sanctions have dealt a serious blow to the entire global economy.