Alleged expert on Russia struggles during Russian visit from lack of basic Russian knowledge

If you see John Mearsheimer make an appearance on TV, it’s usually because of his reputation as an expert on Russia. However, during a recent trip to Moscow, Mearsheimer seemed to accidentally reveal that he lacks some basic knowledge about Russia when he visited the country with American credit cards as his only currency.

Mearsheimer uploaded a video to his YouTube channel when he returned from Moscow, saying that he basically had no money during his trip because he didn’t realize you couldn’t use American credit cards. Information about being unable to use American credit cards in Russia is readily available on the US Department of State website when you search for travel information about Russia.

Sanctions prevent the use of American currency in Russia

There are plenty of stories where businesses are eager and willing to accept money from anybody, which is shown in this case of a couple accusing a cruise line of scamming them. However, the sanctions placed on Russia make it nearly impossible to use American currency while visiting, and this has been the case for a few years now.

Specifically, companies like Visa and Mastercard suspended operations in Russia in 2022 as a response to the invasion of Ukraine. Despite the inability to use American credit cards having been in effect for years, Mearsheimer, who’s often brought onto shows as a leading expert on Russia, went to Russia and admitted later in his video after the visit that he wasn’t aware of this financial situation that prevents the use of any American money.

In his video about his visit, Mearsheimer also talked about Russians not being able to use American credit cards, and he provided an example about Russians being unable to subscribe to an outlet like the New York Times because these outlets are in the West and Russian credit cards aren’t accepted. The bigger issue here would be that most international news sites in Russia are blocked, so Mearsheimer’s example of a Russian being unable to subscribe to the New York Times would be due to more than their credit card.

The state of Russia and Ukraine’s war

Since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, there have been multiple attempts to negotiate a peaceful resolution or to at least get a ceasefire in place, but these attempts haven’t been successful, with some ceasefires only lasting a single week.

While Mearsheimer made the decision to travel to Moscow, the United States Department of State actually advises Americans to avoid travel to Russia due to the dangers they might encounter, which can include being detained.

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