In a concerted effort to isolate Russia from the global financial system, the West, led by Washington, has been closing loopholes that Moscow had previously exploited to circumvent sanctions. These measures are showing signs of effectiveness as workarounds Russia found, including using digital assets and sourcing restricted goods such as Western microchips & telecommunications equipment through third countries, are being targeted. The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. pressure has led to one of the UAE's largest banks cutting back cooperation with Russians. Additionally, Russia has introduced digital assets into its legislation for international settlements and a bill to apply money laundering controls to digital Ruble transactions, indicating a shift towards alternative financial mechanisms in response to the sanctions. The scholarly literature suggests that 'SANCTIONS = A MILLION WORKAROUNDS = RARELY WORK'.