Sanctions on Russia chance for US to improve on 'checkered history,' international trade law expert says

LAWRENCE — As the United States and its European allies impose sanctions on Russia for the escalating conflict with Ukraine, talk has centered on the economic ramifications not just for Moscow, but for the global economy. International trade law expert Raj Bhala of the University of Kansas School of Law is available to discuss the sanctions, their effects on trade and global economies.

Bhala, the Brenneisen Distinguished Professor of Law at KU, can discuss ramifications of trade and financial sanctions against Russia, including possible cutoff from the SWIFT system and World Trade Organization implications. He can also discuss financial sanctions, including those targeted at Russian banks, and trade limits aimed at the country by the sanctions. Bhala also can offer comparative insights regarding sanctions affecting other countries such as Iran and China.

“The use of sanctions to deter or respond to international law violations has a long and checkered history in U.S. foreign and defense policy,” Bhala said. “But now, with respect to Russia, the U.S. — working with its allies — has an opportunity to improve on that history. A key question will be what will India, given its long-standing positive history with Russia but its ever-closer ties to the U.S. in partnership against China, do?”

Bhala has a global reputation in the scholarship of international trade law and has worked in more than 25 countries around the world, including Russia and throughout the European Union and Asia. He writes a regular column, “On Point,” for Bloomberg Quint in India and has written numerous books and journal articles on international trade, including the acclaimed four-volume International Trade Law: A Comprehensive Textbook, now in its fifth edition and the two-volume treatise “Modern GATT Law” and “TPP Objectively: Legal, Economic, and National Security Implications of CPTPP,” second edition. He practiced international banking law at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York before entering academia and currently serves as senior adviser to Dentons in Kansas City.

To schedule an interview, contact Mike Krings at 785-864-8860 or mkrings@ku.edu and/or Bhala directly at bhala@ku.edu.