The U.S. has sanctioned Vladimir Putin's long-rumored romantic partner

But at this point in the war, it's unclear how far sanctions against any one individual will go to deter Putin, says Rachel Ziemba, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. Ziemba says there's little to suggest Kabaeva even has financial assets in the U.S., and in the aftermath of similar sanctions against her by both the U.K. and European Union, she has likely "prepared for the risk" of penalty by the U.S.

"The idea is that by targeting people close to Putin himself, that it will make his life and those close to him more difficult, which might lead to them to sort of change policy," Ziemba said. "The ship has probably sailed on that one."

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