President Trump’s words are consistently too warm toward Russian President Vladimir Putin, but his administration’s actions continue to be appropriately strong. The administration on Wednesday announced new sanctions on Russia, in retaliation for Russia’s attempted assassination of a former British spy.
The U.S. sanctions won’t help warm U.S.-Russian relations, but in the long run, by applying pressure to Russia, they advance the cause of peace.
Russian agents tried to assassinate former British spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter on British soil with a nerve agent in March. A British bystander poisoned by the failed attack died last month. Russia has denied responsibility, but the U.S. and British intelligence communities have established with high confidence that Putin directly ordered the attack.
Such conduct is a grave challenge to U.S. national interests. Our closest ally was attacked in a manner that also risked the lives of hundreds of British citizens. On a moral level, it was only a couple of steps removed from a terrorist attack on the U.K.
[Opinion: Putin had it coming: Trump levies new sanctions against Russia over UK nerve agent attacks]
Russia breached the basic norm that prohibits chemical-weapons attacks, thus throwing scorn at the international legal system it claims to respect. This is particularly disturbing given that Russia has enabled Syrian leader Bashar Assad’s repeated chemical attacks on Syria’s people.
This pattern could not go unanswered. It required this week’s sanctions response.
The new sanctions are tough but also fair, taking effect in two stages. The first round of sanctions due to be enacted later this month will target military exports to Russia. But more significant and far broader sanctions on trade will take effect three months later. If Russia now takes verifiable action to conform with international safeguards against the use of chemical weapons, it will avoid the second tranche of sanctions. In this way, the Trump administration keeps open the door to a meaningful improvement in U.S.-Russian relations on the basis of facts on the ground. Putin can now work to restore some semblance of international faith in his administration. Alternatively, he could dig in and retaliate against these sanctions, further souring Russia’s international stature.
If Putin chooses retaliation, our subsequent response must impose serious costs on the Russian economy — starting with financial restrictions on Russian banking and energy entities and U.S. export bans on heavy and high-tech industrial machinery to Russia. Those choices would make clear that the U.S. will not back down in face of wanton disregard for international security.
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Unlike some, both on the hawkish Right and the Trump-deranged Left, we don’t seek conflict with Russia. We desire peace. Trump is right to seek consensus with Putin on matters of shared concern but divided interest. But we simply do not believe that such a consensus can conform with the use of chemical weapons against civilians on the soil of our closest ally. Putin made the choice that made this week’s sanctions announcement necessary.
It is up to the Russian leader to decide how we now proceed.
