Mike Baker: Russian Sanctions Were the Right Move Politically But Won’t Have an Impact

RUSH EXCERPT:

BAKER: "The answer is, this is partly my opinion, our past history with sanctions regimes, whether it’s against Russia or Iran or North Korea, the sanctions don’t tend to really change the country’s behavior. It doesn’t get the positive impact that we want. It tends to be more politically expedient, and makes us feel good and you look at this latest round of sanctions against Russia and you know there’s a vast political element to it because in the first place, the sanctions bill was designed for Iran and North Korea and on the kind of slammed in Russia sanctions and as a result, the climate that we are living in right now, and also, our European allies have a vast range of disagreements and concerns over the sanctions. Was it the right move? From a political point of view, point to the fact that we have to say something overtly, we have to do something in the public arena to express our great concern with Russian meddling in their aggressive activities inside the borders, was of the right move? I don’t believe so."