Sanctions hurt Russia, but still far from changing minds.

[pampango]

4. If anyone thought that sanctions would be a "quick and easy victory" they don't know much about

the history of economic sanctions anywhere in the world.

If a country wants to conduct a quick reaction to political events, the military is a much better choice - witness events in Crimea last spring. Russia did not just enforce economic sanctions on Ukraine in reaction to events in Kiev. Guys with guns got results in Crimea much faster than economic sanctions would have done.

Sanctions cause pain on both sides. Existing trade was beneficial to both sides or it would not have been happening. Stopping that trade then will obviously hurt both sides. There are many corporations and their conservative politicians who have argued against sanctions for precisely that reason. They knew they would feel the pain, too.

Sanctions are a viable, long term response to political events if you rule out a military response for moral or practical reasons and rule out not having any response at all (other perhaps than a sternly worded letter). Sanctions took years to work in South Africa. There is nothing 'quick and easy' about them.