This play of locking all Russia's valuable commodities in, with the only out being in the direction of China, seems risky. It relies on Russia making a series of catastrophic economic mistakes (although, parenthetically, that is an outcome backed by history). The obvious way this plays out is that Russia's economy snaps back really quickly and a Russia-China trade corridor starts firming up because there are no other options. Then they both benefit from it.

It isn't yet so clear that the weak links in finance can be so easily weaponised against a state by foreign powers. Economic warfare always seems to me to be a series of self inflicted wounds. It would be interesting (and terrifying) to see whether these attacks would work against a liberal economy.