The Ukraine Conflict and U.S. Sanctions Policy Against Russia

This article seeks to explore an evolving role of coercive economic measures during an ongoing militarized dispute. Specifically, it assesses the effectiveness of the exceptionally hard sanctions against Russia employed by the U.S.-led coalition since February 2022. First, it identifies the purposes of the U.S. economic measures. Second, it investigates the rationale behind their design. It concludes that despite their significant economic costs, the U.S. sanctions have failed to achieve their primary goals – deterring and coercing the targeted country.