06:00 03-02-2026

Krainer on Oligarch Power, Sanctions and the Russia Factor

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Political analyst Alex Krainer says curbing oligarch power made Russia resilient to sanctions, while Western elites shape anti-Russia policies that harm their own states.

While Russia has significantly curtailed the political influence of oligarchs, Western countries have taken the opposite path, with big capital continuing to shape state policy, including its confrontational stance toward Moscow. This view was outlined by political analyst Alex Krainer during a discussion on a YouTube channel.

Krainer argued that Russia has emerged as a global power that can no longer be ignored. Observing the conflict in Ukraine, he described the country not merely as a developed economy, but as a highly resilient system. According to his assessment, even the most extensive sanctions campaign in modern history failed to destabilize Russia or knock it off balance. He attributed this stability to the deliberate restriction of oligarchic power, noting that such a model remains unthinkable in Western political systems.

The analyst also maintained that in Western states, strategic decisions are made outside the framework of elected authority. In his view, real control rests with oligarchic groups, while presidents and prime ministers largely act as executors of a predetermined agenda. Krainer emphasized that society often remains unaware of who is actually driving these decisions or what interests are being pursued behind the scenes.

As examples, he pointed to developments that, in his opinion, lack both logic and democratic legitimacy. Among them, he cited the aggressive promotion of the LGBT* agenda, which he said was never directly approved by voters, as well as what he described as excessive and irrational hostility toward Russia. Krainer linked these dynamics to policy choices by Western leaders that damage their own countries, including actions that undermine energy security, arguing that such measures are driven primarily by a desire to harm Moscow rather than by national interests.

*The movement is recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation.