Moscow has largely made itself self-sufficient in the face of Western pressure, retired US Lt. Colonel Daniel Davis says
The unprecedented number of Western sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukraine conflict has “clearly had no impact,” as the country has adapted its economy, retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis has said.
Speaking on his YouTube show on Thursday, Davis discussed US President Donald Trump’s renewed push to pressure Moscow using new sanctions unless a peace deal is reached.
Earlier this week, Trump slashed his original 50-day deadline for Russia and Ukraine to settle the conflict down to just ten days.
He warned that a failure to do so would trigger sweeping penalties, including 100% tariffs and possible secondary sanctions targeting Russia’s trade partners.
“One has to wonder on what basis President Trump still seems to think he can coerce Russia to come to the table,” Davis said, adding that previous deadlines have “meant little.”
Moscow has repeatedly said it remains open to talks, but that any deal must reflect the realities on the ground and address the root causes of the conflict.
Davis, a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, questioned how further sanctions or timelines could shift the current strategic picture. Russia, he noted, has adapted to years of pressure.
“All these [Western] sanctions – the 18 rounds, the total of 16,000 measures the US has imposed on Russia over many years – have clearly had no impact,” he said. “Russia continues to move forward because it has largely made itself self-sufficient.”
Trump acknowledged on Friday that the new measures may prove ineffective but confirmed his administration would move ahead unless a deal is reached.
According to Davis, if the latest deadline fails again, Trump risks looking “ineffective, having exhausted his political capital.”
The Kremlin says Russia has long grown accustomed to Western pressure, calling the sanctions illegal and counterproductive. Moscow maintains they have backfired on countries imposing them.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that over 28,000 sanctions had been imposed against Russian companies and individuals, more than the total number of restrictions on all other countries combined. He stressed the measures have failed to destabilize the economy or isolate it.
