October 13, 2020

No, Trump has not been ‘tough’ on Russia

By: Edward Fishman, James Lamond and Max Bergmann

Last month, the Treasury Department announced new sanctions against four Kremlin-linked figures for their efforts to interfere in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. The measures were met with acclaim as a long-awaited response to Russia’s interventions in American democracy.

The simple fact is that even harsh-looking sanctions have little impact when there’s zero political will to enforce them.

In reality, though, these measures are little more than a pinprick — the latest episode in a long history of efforts by the Trump administration to appear tough on Russia while actually signaling to the Kremlin that U.S. elections remain open to interference. The simple fact is that even harsh-looking sanctions have little impact when there’s zero political will to enforce them.

Read the full article in The Washington Post.

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