Democracy Dies in Darkness

When it comes to Putin, sanctions may have limits as a tool of coercion

The United States and its allies have relied chiefly on the threat of severe economic pain to prevent Russia from launching an invasion of Ukraine, but the Russian leader may not care

By
February 22, 2022 at 7:28 p.m. EST
Russian President Vladimir Putin signs documents, including a decree recognizing two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent, at the Kremlin on Feb. 21. (Alexey Nikolsky/Sputnik/AFP/Getty Images)
8 min

When Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech to the nation Monday night, setting the stage for a new Russian military intervention in neighboring Ukraine, he characterized sanctions as a weapon Western powers would use against Moscow no matter what.

“They have one goal: to restrain the development of Russia,” Putin said, arguing that the West will always find a new false pretext for sanctions. He then signed orders recognizing the independence of two separatist regions in Ukraine and sent Russian forces onto their territory for “peacekeeping” purposes — in what President Biden called the beginning of an invasion.