Combating Authoritarianism: Will Sanctions on Russia Be Effective?

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, countries around the world have imposed an unprecedented array of sanctions. But will these economic weapons compel Putin to change course in Ukraine? Will they lead to political instability and unrest in Russia? Will the sanctions fuel the ambitions of Russian coup plotters? To answer such questions, this paper looks at what can be learned from the literature on sanctions.