On Thursday international finance capital held its breath and spent the day glued to its cell phone. Would Russia pay the first maturity of interest on foreign debt after sanctions?

It is not possible to say whether speculators wanted Russia to pay or not to pay. What is certain is that the sanctions were imposed so that it could not pay, and yet it did pay, so the sanctions have failed again, proving that they are measures imposed for the sake of the gallery and the media.

The concern was ridiculous because the amount of the payment was 120 million dollars, an insignificant figure which does not justify the alarm. It was therefore not a question of economics but of whether Russia wants to pay its debts even if they make it difficult for it.

Russia’s debts are like gas: despite the sanctions, the Kremlin continues to pump gas to…