Biden's hitting Russia's yacht-riding rich with sanctions. Will it blunt Putin's Ukraine invasion?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

WASHINGTON – They own professional sports teams, travel the world in superyachts and stash their billions in Western real estate.

Russia's wealthy oligarchs and political elites flaunt a level of in-your-face affluence across the world. This week, their wealth and connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin made some of them targets of President Joe Biden's sanctions in response to the Kremlin’s ongoing military invasion of Ukraine.

But if the Biden administration really wants to hurt Russian oligarchs enough to rein in Putin's actions in Ukraine, it needs to hit them much harder – and hit a lot more of them, some U.S. officials and kleptocracy experts told USA TODAY.

Biden and his national security team announced two rounds of sanctions this week that they say will cause severe economic and political hardship for Russian President Vladimir Putin, key Russian state-owned banks and some of those in his inner circle. The European Union and key allies like the United Kingdom made similar moves to isolate Russia – and some Kremlin elites – from global financial markets.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/bidens-hitting-russias-yacht-riding-rich-with-sanctions-will-it-blunt-putins-ukraine-invasion/ar-AAUjLi3

[RandySF]

1. No

[70sEraVet]

2. No. But I bet that it DOES put pressure on Putin!

If this turns out to be a VERY bad deal for Russia's oligarchs, Putin may end up having a 'bad cup of tea'.

[Wuddles440]

3. Putin and his

circle of thieves have had years to insulate themselves from these sanctions. The only ones who will end suffering the consequences are the common folk of Russia.

[Igel]

4. Ukraine's an asset.

Take it over, and it'll be chopped up so that oligarchs get a lot of the spoils.

What's the country worth? Are the sanctions going to cost more than Ukr assets - cost of acquiring them?

If "yes," then sanction might be effective--we have to somehow quantify fear and nationalism. If no, then the sanctions are preening and will have scant effect.

In 2014 we had sanctions put in place that would restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine and cause Russia to so rue annexing Crimea that they'd do the unthinkable and return it. Have we hit 48 business hours yet?