While some indicators are positive, others are troubling. The arrival of Donald Trump in the White House has given the Kremlin a political boost, and lifting sanctions will help, but it is no panacea.

The US levied swingeing sanctions on Bashar al-Assad's regime for torturing and killing thousands. Matt Zweig, who helped draft it, speaks to Al Majalla about its details and future.

Showcasing his economy's resilience despite moves to isolate it, Russia's president was keen to attract potential trade allies at an important conference in St Petersburg.

Oil revenue boosting the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine comes from a fleet of ships and intermediaries designed to evade sanctions and price caps. All signs are that it is working.

There were dire predictions over the impact of sanctions and yet growth has increased, thanks to military spending. But there are deeper doubts over whether it can last and what lies ahead.

Intended as a means of avoiding future deadly conflagrations, nations' refusal to impose sanctions and targeted countries' ability to circumvent them made them ineffective in many cases

Israel fears that such action—if taken in Washington—could then be taken by other Israeli allies, whether against Netzah Yehuda or any other military unit

Despite sanctions, a brain drain, investor withdrawal, inflation, high interest rates, falling oil prices and reducing reserves, Vladimir Putin thinks Russia's economy is A-grade. Is it?

Closure, airspace, sanctions, spare parts, subsidies, re-registrations, and re-routing woes plague carriers that used to fly over Russia. How has it affected their bottom line? Al Majalla explains.

Politics were played down when Russia brought former Soviet states into a trading bloc to counter the EU. But suspicions over deeper motives were there from the start. Sanctions are a major test.