US sanctions have succeeded - in making Putin stronger

When the U.S. and its allies imposed sweeping economic sanctions on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, the goal seemed clear: strangle Moscow’s economy, cripple its war machine, and fracture Putin’s domestic support. Western policymakers envisioned a collapsing ruble, rebellious oligarchs, and a Russian public turning against the Kremlin. But more than two years later, that strategy has backfired.

Instead of weakening Russia, the sanctions have enabled it to adapt and recalibrate. The Russian economy has shifted into wartime gear, redirecting trade to Asia, especially China and India. Far from isolating Russia, the sanctions have accelerated the emergence of a multipolar order, with countries experimenting with non-dollar trade, alternative financial systems, and local currency exchanges.

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 ruble quickly stabilized with capital controls and interest rate hikes. Oil and gas revenues found eager buyers outside Europe. The Kremlin’s narrative—that the West isn’t punishing Putin but punishing Russians—has struck a chord with a public already wary of foreign hostility.

The ripple effects have been costly for the West. Europe, especially Germany, has struggled with energy insecurity, and inflation. The dollar’s weaponization has led many nations to seek alternatives, gradually undermining its dominance. Meanwhile, sanctions—meant as strategic tools—have often amounted to political theater, offering symbolic satisfaction without real leverage.

Rather than 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.

This is not to excuse Russia’s aggression. The invasion of Ukraine is a grave breach of international norms. But the overreliance on sanctions has exposed a critical flaw: they are often a substitute for real strategy. Moral clarity does not guarantee effective results. As the world becomes increasingly multipolar, Western powers must recalibrate their tools of influence.

Sanctions can hurt. But they rarely work. And when they backfire, as they have with Russia, they remind us of a sobering truth: in geopolitics, good intentions are not enough. Outcomes matter.

This article published at :

1. South China Morning Post, HK : 09 Aug,25