Using the Russia-Ukraine crisis, consider the following questions. aWhy did some countries and business activities suffer greater economic impacts? What made them more vulnerable?MARKS[1]bOn the other hand, what enabled other countries to be less economically vulnerable?

a) Some countries and business activities suffered greater economic impacts due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis due to several factors. Firstly, countries that are heavily dependent on Russia for energy supplies, such as natural gas, were hit hard as the crisis led to a disruption in energy supplies. Secondly, countries and businesses that have significant trade relations with Russia also faced economic impacts due to sanctions imposed on Russia by the international community. These sanctions not only affected Russian businesses but also foreign businesses operating in Russia. Thirdly, countries with a high level of political instability and weak economic structures were more vulnerable to the crisis.

b) On the other hand, countries that were less economically vulnerable during the Russia-Ukraine crisis were those that had diversified their economies and were not heavily dependent on Russia for energy supplies or trade. These countries had also built strong economic structures and had stable political systems, which helped them to withstand the economic shocks caused by the crisis. Furthermore, countries that had the ability to quickly adapt to changing economic conditions and shift their trade relations to other countries were also less vulnerable.