More Sanctions on Russia - a Fool's Errand /Lt Col Daniel Davis

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President Trump, after months of mounting pressure from Europe, Ukraine, and his own allies, has finally announced sweeping new sanctions against Russia—reportedly the most severe yet. The decision comes after failed diplomatic efforts, including an unproductive meeting in Alaska where Trump’s team believed his “force of personality” might persuade Putin, but nothing changed.

Commentators like Treasury Secretary Scott Visent defended the move as a necessary escalation, while critics warned that Trump’s faith in sanctions and personal charm reveals a misunderstanding of Russia’s motives and power dynamics. Despite years of sanctions showing little effect, Trump—frustrated and eager to appear decisive—is resorting to them again.

Analysts argue that Trump’s circle, including figures like Lindsey Graham and European leaders such as Zelensky and Ursula von der Leyen, have continually pushed him toward harsher measures. Graham, in particular, flatters Trump’s ego by portraying him as a tough, dominant negotiator who can “put a whooping” on Putin just as he did with Iran or the Houthis.

However, critics say this approach ignores reality: Russia’s stated goals—neutral Ukraine, no NATO expansion, demilitarization, and protection of Russian-speaking populations—haven’t changed since 2022. Moscow reiterated these positions again through its Foreign Ministry, signaling that Western sanctions or threats won’t alter its stance.

In essence, Trump’s move marks a shift from diplomacy to punishment, driven more by exhaustion and external pressure than by strategy—raising concerns that he believes symbolic toughness can substitute for actual leverage.