1.   In August the Moscow authorities restricted the sale to non-residents of scarce goods, following similar decisions in other cities.

2.   In the capitalist world, scarce goods and services are allocated with prices.

3.   Some profiteers amassed fortunes during the war when sanctions drove up the price of scarce goods, and many people work for international organizations.

4.   The peso officially is valued at one to the dollar, but many scarce goods only are available in stores which only accept hard currency.