April 1, The International Working Group on Russian Sanctions’ Day

April 1, i.e., International Fools’ Day, is coming into town, and, truly, there are no greater fools in the First, Second, or Third World second year in a row than Guriev, Aleksashenko, McFaul, Yermak & other members of The International Working Group on Russian Sanctions.

Russian external debt has fallen to its lowest level since 2007, it now stands at $326 bln. This means that Russia may, should it feel a compelling and urgent need to, pay its debt entirely with $300 billion of Russian reserves frozen in the West.

It’s almost as if severance of Russia from the West had been deemed one of goals of the Russian invasion, not the unintended and unpleasant side effect that should bring its economy to the freefall.

It’s almost as if Russian reserves immobilized by the countries of the EU and NATO were an upfront payment for the possibility of decoupling.

Let’s check the noble analytics of the EC dated September 17, 2022 (i.e., two weeks before formal integration of the annexed Ukrainian territories into Russia proper) against harsh reality of the Fools’ Day 2024!

Meanwhile, the best April 1 joke in the Ukraine will be

Whom did you vote for during the yesterday elections?

And the answer will be:

Keep watching the skies, for the better visibility of transgenders.