A publication of the Association of Studies, Research and Internationalization in Eurasia and Africa (ASRIE) with the academic assistance of the members of EU-RU-CM Network The second volume of Geopolitical Report titled "Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act": The Psychological Aspect was written by Professor Evgeny Pashentsev, a Russian leading expert in Strategic Communication and Psychological Warfare, with the purpose of analysing the U.S. strategy of using sanctions

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... t its adversaries. Scope The aim of the Association of Studies, Research and Internationalization in Eurasia and Africa (ASRIE) is to promote international relations and business among Italy and foreign countries and further the study of and teaching on the geopolitical, economic, cultural and social characteristics of processes and developments in different areas of the world. The Association is the result of shared experience and knowledge by geopoliti-cal analysts, journalists, businessmen willing to promote the intercultural exchange between Italy and countries in both the Eurasian Region and Africa, creating a link among the world of Business, Academy and Research. The association's publication, Geopolitical Report, aims at investigating the current geopolitical and soci-ocultural events and trends which are shaping the world of international relations, business and security creating a debate by allowing scholars and professional experts to share their views, perspectives, work results, reports and research findings. One can submit manuscripts, analytical reports, critical responses, short articles , commentaries, book reviews to info@asrie.org. Information about the association's goals, activities, projects and publications which can be freely downloaded can be found on the website www.asrie.org. Copyright © 2018 ASRIE All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher , addressed "Attention: Permissions Coordinator," at info@asrie.org. Pag. 6 the political leadership, the cohesion of the elites can be fractured through creating the perception of conflicting or contradictory interests with the political centre by mi-cro-targeting parts of the economic and political elite. The brand resonance and the equity of the political brand may be heavily damaged, during which time foreign actors may take advantage and harness the growing public discontent and the increasingly isolated and insular government. Also observable are the tangible and intangible effects on an international level too. Whereby other countries are coerced to limit or stop commerce with the target country, which also affects them financially too. A number of EU countries have been heavily hit by the sanctions and counter-sanctions, including already vulnerable economies such as Greece. This is very much a game of the façade of legitimacy, therefore a highly scripted narrative that depicts two diametrically opposed sides engaged in a battle of 'good' versus 'evil'. The intangible effects are readily apparent on the reputation and the brand of the actors involved, where the actor that is able to control the information flows of the crisis event is better placed to control and dictate the course of events. This paper by Professor Pashentsev is timely and neatly captures this 'game' of economic warfare that can readily morph into an act of political warfare. Given the potentially devastating effects of these tools on a given country, it is important to understand how they function. The present paper certainly contributes towards this understanding .