Pressure on Ukraine won’t Stop the War. Pressure on Russia will.

Weakening Ukraine only encourages Russia to continue the war with the goal of complete conquest.

According to Reuters, Russia's oil and gas revenues surged by over 26% in 2024, reaching $108.22 billion. These revenues make up about a third to half of the federal budget despite a 24% decline in 2023 due to weaker oil prices and reduced gas exports.

Despite Western sanctions, Russia continues profiting from oil exports by using a "shadow fleet" of over 400 ageing tankers, as the Kyiv School of Economics estimated. It helps bypass restrictions and sustain the country's war economy.

To effectively counter this, it is necessary to:

• Close loopholes in sanctions.
• Restrict access to technologies needed for oil extraction and processing.
• Encourage countries to seek alternative oil and gas suppliers.

Such an approach and pressure on Russia will weaken its ability to wage war and bring it closer to military defeat.