Kremlin’s Defiance Exposes Weakness of Sanctions Strategy Against Russia

In a brazen display of defiance, the Kremlin has dismissed President Trump’s recent sanctions targeting Russia’s largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, with Dmitri Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, confidently stating, "We’ll see what happens in six months, God willing." This cavalier response is more than diplomatic posturing—it signals a serious challenge to America’s efforts to enforce consequences for Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine. How long can Washington afford to tolerate such blatant disregard for its economic tools? The sanctions were intended to pressure Russia into ceasing hostilities and committing to peace in Ukraine; yet Putin appears undeterred, branding these measures as simply...