December 18, 2014
COLUMN-Russia Sanctions: Beware the Blowback
In recent days, the U.S. Congress has moved aggressively to increase the economic pain inflicted on Russia in punishment for its brazen destabilization of easternUkraine and Crimea.
Legislators are attempting to up the ante with Moscow by passing new laws to penalize foreign banks and energy companies for doing business in several Russian economic sectors.
The desire to inflict more economic difficulty on Russia is understandable. By imposing pain on Russia, the United States and the European Union can try to force Moscow to change its aggressive behavior toward its neighbors.
But the new sanctions may not be as effective as Congress hopes, and President Barack Obama should be reluctant to enforce the penalties aggressively, as doing so would have serious consequences for the United States and its partners abroad.
Read the full op-ed at Reuters.
More from CNAS
-
Russia Won’t Let Ukraine Go Without a Fight
Commentary
A continued contest for influence in Ukraine is unavoidable and will get worse before it gets better....
By Michael Kofman & Michael Kimmage
-
Russia’s Escalating Pressure on Ukraine and Europe, with Michael Kofman and Kadri Liik
Podcast
How should the United States and Europe interpret and respond to Russia’s various efforts to exert pressure on its neighbors, including its military buildup on the border with...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Michael Kofman & Kadri Liik
-
Navigating Relations with Russia in the Arctic
Reports
About the Transatlantic Forum on Russia This policy brief is a product of CNAS’ Transatlantic Forum on Russia, an initiative designed to spur coordination between the United S...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Lawson W. Brigham & Nicholas Lokker
-
Crackdown Ahead of Duma Elections, with Russian Opposition Member Dmitry Gudkov and Maria Snegovaya
Podcast
What does the Kremlin’s crackdown ahead of the recent Duma elections tell us about the current domestic political situation in Russia? Russian opposition leader Dmitri Gudkov ...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Dmitri Gudkov & Maria Snegovaya
