Western Sanctions on Russia Should Be More Pragmatic and Less Punitive

“Sanctions don’t work” is one of the oft-repeated refrains of Russian propaganda. The Kremlin likes to insist that threats by Western leaders to strangle the Russian economy have come to nothing, and that Russia has adapted to the restrictions and is even experiencing economic growth. In fact, the picture is a lot less rosy upon closer examination, but it’s true that sanctions are not perfect. While the West has realized that the confrontation with Russia is likely to last a long time and is adjusting its policies accordingly, most sanctions have not been changed since they were imposed at the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and are poorly suited to the task of Russia’s long-term containment.