Winning the race of the Red Queen: How U.S. sanctions can outpace Russia’s evasion

How does the United States confront the ambitions of rogue and revisionist powers without resorting to war?

For decades, the answer to this question has been to deploy weapons from its economic arsenal: sanctions, export controls, financial restrictions, and numerous related measures. Existing in the gray zone between peace and open conflict, the use of these instruments has constituted the core of America’s ability to constrain opponents without firing a shot.

Yet these tools have often disappointed when the stakes were high, especially with regard to Russia. In some instances, the design and enforcement of sanctions have been deficient. Yet at least as important — and more enigmatic — is how the targets of sanctions have learned to survive them.

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