Josh Rudolph in Just Security: Limited Sanctions Will Not Deter Putin, But They Are a Fine Start

The Russia sanctions announced by the Biden administration on Thursday did not impose severe financial costs on Moscow, although the measures are stronger than those of the Trump administration because they are credibly reinforced by the president’s words and backed up with important revelations about the interference toolkit used by the Russian intelligence services. That will probably not be enough to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from his increasingly aggressive actions, whether they are the cyber intrusions and election interference these measures respond to, or potential future escalations, like invading neighboring Ukraine again or killing jailed opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. But it does provide a solid framework from which the United States can escalate sanctions together with its allies in response to future harmful foreign activities.