The Sanctions Frankenstein

U.S. Battles to Leash the Monster it Created

A specter is haunting the Biden Administration - the specter of sanctions,. Unleashed to hurt Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, they now threaten to inflict a mortal wound on Democratic prospects in the midterms. As I have previously noted, the the Russians have been able to evade sanctions on their oil exports by selling to India and China, whence, refined and relabeled, the fuel makes its way to western markets.

In by-passing the blockade on his oil sales, Putin was actually doing Biden a favor. The two million barrels of Russian oil a day flowing onto the world market have helped bring the price of gasoline down where it really counts - among American voters filling up their cars. Now, with only weeks to go before election day, the sanctions weapon is turning against its creators, with potentially catastrophic consequences for the Democrats