President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a virtual summit on Dec. 7 to address the Russian military buildup on the border with Ukraine. While the details of the discussion remain confidential, the Biden administration said the president warned Putin not to invade Ukraine or face severe economic sanctions.

One thing we do know: Sanctions do not deter Putin from his stated goal of reassembling the Russian empire. In February 2014, Russia invaded Ukraine and has since supported separatist forces in eastern Ukraine. Also in 2014, Russia invaded Crimea, a sovereign Ukrainian territory, and purported to annex that territory. Sanctions have not deterred Russia from its aggression in Ukraine.