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
-
Trump, Zelenskyy, Putin Meeting May Not Happen Anytime Soon: Townsend
Video
Jim Townsend, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, on the potential outcomes of the upcoming Trump-Putin summit in Alaska and its possible impact o...
By Jim Townsend
-
Commentary
Indo-Pacific Security / Transatlantic Security
Sharper: The Axis of UpheavalDespite some claims to the contrary, the axis of upheaval remains active: China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea continue to deepen their ties. Russia and China are flexing thei...
By Ryan Claffey, Charles Horn & Anna Pederson
-
Trump Says He’ll Likely Meet with Putin and Zelenskyy Soon
Podcast
The White House says President Trump is now open to meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director at the Center for a New Am...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor
-
Russia, Ukraine, and the Global Order with Fiona Hill
Podcast
Jim and Andrea sit down with Fiona Hill, one of the leading thinkers on Russia, U.S.-Russia relations, and transatlantic affairs. The conversation takes place against a dizzyi...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend & Fiona Hill
