Letters | US sanctions have succeeded – in making Putin stronger
Readers discuss how the sanctions on Russia have backfired, AI governance, and the day humans won’t be needed for ‘most things’
When the United States and its allies imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, the goal seemed clear: strangle Moscow’s economy, cripple its war machine, and fracture Vladimir Putin’s domestic support. But more than three years later, that strategy has backfired.
This result was foreseeable. History shows sanctions rarely achieve their political aims. Cuba, North Korea and Iran have long resisted external pressure, often using it to rally domestic support. Russia followed a similar script. The rouble quickly stabilised with capital controls and interest rate hikes. Oil and gas found eager buyers outside Europe. The Kremlin’s narrative – that the West isn’t punishing Putin but punishing Russians – seems to have struck a chord with the public.
The ripple effects have been costly for the West. Europe, especially Germany, has struggled with energy insecurity. The weaponised dollar has led nations to seek alternatives, gradually undermining its dominance. Sanctions often amount to no more than political theatre.
Instead of undermining Putin, sanctions have fortified his regime and tightened Russia’s alignment with non-Western powers. The West’s economic coercion underestimated the resilience of a nuclear-armed, resource-rich state with strategic autonomy.