Publication

It’s been two years since the EU and US imposed sanctions against Russia. So, just how effective have these mid-2014 measures been in deterring Moscow’s two-fisted foreign policy? The answer is not very. What’s worse, if the sanctions remain unchanged, let alone partially removed or loosened, their effectiveness will fade, as will the West’s credibility. However, if the West really wants to demonstrate that these measures can be a valuable and important instrument in foreign policy, then it needs to broaden the scope of those already targeted against Russia and significantly increase the costs of Putin’s bellicose behavior.