Citing the examples of several international evildoers, Ross Douthat argues that keeping sanctions on Russia after a short period will only solidify Putin’s control of the populace. Is he right?
Yes. The situation is even worse than he suggests; the longer the sanctions stay on, the more ability the Russians have to counter them, and make them useless in the future. That’s why I’ve maintained that sanctions need to come off as part of any agreement; to leave them on purely for the emotional satisfaction of the American public will only damage our interests in the long run.