Europe's trade sanctions against Russia are effective, but Russians circumvent part of them

The European Union's sanctions against Russia have effectively reduced trade and aimed to isolate Vladimir Putin's regime, but Russia has managed to circumvent many restrictions through third countries like China and India. An audit by the European Court of Auditors highlights that while trade between the EU and Russia has significantly decreased, it has not disappeared entirely, with the EU dropping from the largest to the third-largest trading partner of Russia. The sanctions have led to a dramatic decline in trade value, with estimates showing a 75% drop in goods traded by 2025. Despite the effectiveness of the sanctions, deviations through other nations persist, particularly with increased trade between Russia and China and India, especially in oil imports.