Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics

How can sanctions be enforced more effectively in practice?
Last week, on June 9, the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) and the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs hosted the conference Sanctions Compliance and Enforcement: Strengthening Cooperation between Companies and Authorities in Stockholm.

Researchers, policymakers, companies, and public authorities discussed how to close the gap between sanctions on paper and sanctions in practice, with a focus on export controls, sanctions circumvention, trade diversion, digital assets, and the role of private-sector compliance.

A central message from the conference was clear: as Russia adapts through intermediary countries, alternative payment systems, complex supply chains, and crypto assets, effective sanctions enforcement requires closer cooperation between governments, companies, researchers, and international partners.

The event concluded with a closed roundtable for Swedish authorities and companies, focusing on practical cooperation, information sharing, and the challenges businesses face in identifying and managing sanctions risks.

💐 Special thanks to all speakers, participants, and partners who contributed to an important and timely discussion on strengthening sanctions compliance and enforcement.

➡️ Read the full summary to learn more:

Sanctions Enforcement Needs Stronger Cooperation Read more about how stronger sanctions enforcement, export controls, and company-authority cooperation can help counter Russia sanctions evasion.

A new Kiel Report, Endgame: The State of the Russian Economy, co-edited by SITE Director Torbjörn Becker and Moritz Schularick, brings together leading experts to assess the mounting pressures on Russia’s war economy.

The report finds that while Russia’s economy has not collapsed, its structural foundations are weakening: growth has stalled, fiscal buffers are largely depleted, and the country’s dependence on China is deepening. The analysis also highlights how export revenues - especially from hydrocarbons - remain central to Russia’s ability to sustain its war effort.

The report argues that the current moment presents a window for consequential Western action, including stronger sanctions enforcement, tighter export controls, and new policy tools to reduce Russia’s war-financing capacity.

💡 Learn more:
https://www.kielinstitut.de/publications/endgame-the-state-of-the-russian-economy-19855/

🇺🇦 Has support for Ukraine remained united across Europe?
https://freepolicybriefs.org/2026/05/18/how-polarised-is-support-for-ukraine/

🔎 In their latest policy brief, Jonathan Lehne and Maiting Zhuang from the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) discuss where political divides are widening across Europe.

📚 Explore more policy briefs on political economy: https://freepolicybriefs.org/topics/political-economy/

How can companies and public authorities strengthen cooperation on sanctions compliance and enforcement?

On June 9, 2026, the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) hosts a conference in Stockholm bringing together companies, authorities, researchers, and international experts to discuss sanctions compliance and countering circumvention linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The program combines strategic analysis, practical enforcement perspectives, and company experience, with particular focus on export-related risks, supply chains, and emerging challenges such as cryptocurrencies and sanctions evasion.

📍 Hotel Miss Clara, Stockholm
📆 June 9, 2026,
⏰ 09:00–14:00 CEST

➡️ Attendance is free, but registration is required. Learn more and register here: https://www.trippus.se/web/registration/registration.aspx?view=registration&idcategory=AB0ILBAbk7SYGTe3_MdDPEsnWvf0PY-oHYB26Hu-rzTLNDTv3NGj8rYWVIGCX7pVYd0OFXN4oOEH&ln=eng

ℹ️ This projekt is financially supported by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

🇦🇲 Is Armenia choosing between Europe and Russia? Or is it seeking a balance between the two?

🔎 Vardan Baghdasaryan of the American University of Armenia examines the geopolitical tensions shaping the 2026 election.

📚 Read more: https://freepolicybriefs.org/2026/06/01/2026-elections-in-armenia/

🇺🇦🇪🇺 Why do some European countries remain united on Ukraine while others grow divided?
https://freepolicybriefs.org/2026/05/18/how-polarised-is-support-for-ukraine/

🔎 Jonathan Lehne and Maiting Zhuang from the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) unpack new evidence from more than 185,000 survey responses.

🔗 Explore more policy briefs on political economy: https://freepolicybriefs.org/topics/political-economy/

Igår samlades representanter från samtliga svenska riksdagspartier på Handelshögskolan i Stockholm för en paneldiskussion arrangerad av oss på Nordic Ukraine Forum tillsammans med Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE). Fokus låg på en av vår tids mest avgörande frågor: hur Sveriges stöd till Ukraina ska utvecklas under kommande mandatperiod och vilken roll Sverige ska spela i Europas fortsatta stöd till Ukraina.

Mer än fyra år efter Rysslands fullskaliga invasion fortsätter Ukraina sin kamp för frihet, självständighet och demokrati – en kamp som inte bara avgör Ukrainas framtid, utan också Europas säkerhet och våra gemensamma demokratiska värderingar.

Det var glädjande att se ett starkt politiskt engagemang och en bred samsyn kring vikten av ett långsiktigt, uthålligt och tydligt svenskt stöd till Ukraina. Samtidigt blev det tydligt att samtalet om hur detta stöd ska formas framöver är både nödvändigt och aktuellt.

Stort tack till dagens paneldeltagare:
• Gustaf Göthberg, Moderaterna
• Martin Ådahl, Centerpartiet
• Håkan Svenneling, Vänsterpartiet
• Aron Emilsson, Sverigedemokraterna
• Emma Berginger, Miljöpartiet de gröna
• Fredrik Malm, Liberalerna
• Magnus Berntsson, Kristdemokraterna
• Morgan Johansson, Socialdemokraterna

Samt ett särskilt tack till moderator Torbjörn Becker och alla som deltog i publiken.

Tillsammans fortsätter vi att hålla Ukraina högt på den svenska och europeiska agendan! 🇺🇦🇸🇪

Bilder: Nordic Ukraine Forum & Dominick Nilsson

⚡ Can Europe secure a green future without creating new geopolitical dependencies?
https://freepolicybriefs.org/2026/04/22/critical-minerals-green-transition/

🔎 Chloe Le Coq, Elena Paltseva & Jesper Roine from the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) examine the race for critical minerals.

📚 Explore more policy briefs on energy and natural resources: https://freepolicybriefs.org/topics/energy-environment/

In an episode by Radiokorrespondenterna Ryssland, Sveriges Radio, aired on May 7, 2026, Torbjörn Becker, Director of the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE), joined a discussion on reports of growing concerns within the Kremlin, the state of Russia’s economy despite high oil prices, and how EU support may affect Ukraine’s ability to continue defending itself against Russia.

Also featured in the episode were Sveriges Radio’s Ukraine correspondent Lubna El-Shanti and Russia correspondent Fredrik Wadström.

➡️ Learn more (in Swedish): https://www.sverigesradio.se/avsnitt/efter-attackerna-nu-starks-sakerheten-runt-putin

How are information warfare, cybersecurity, and business risk connected?

Join the Center for Statecraft and Strategic Communication (CSSC) and the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) for an open lecture with Mary Prokhorova, PhD and CEO of InDevLab, at the Stockholm School of Economics on May 25.

The lecture will explore how ransomware, disinformation campaigns, and AI-generated fraud are reshaping risks for businesses - and why effective responses must combine cybersecurity, strategic communication, and regulatory awareness.

📅 May 25, 2026
🕛 12:00–13:00 CEST
📍 Stockholm School of Economics

💡More info: https://www.hhs.se/en/about-us/calendar/site-external-events/2026/information-warfare-business-risk/

➡️ Register here: https://www.trippus.se/web/registration/registration.aspx?view=registration&idcategory=AB0ILBD_wJxLichJkPgzYgsB9WAxAsAl0kyhhHkLrNzXfbJDk35W9A2WjrXbVapdQ2oRvow5F9sl&ln=eng