Sanctions at what cost? West dials up response to Putin's move on Ukraine

The United States and its allies have made it clear that they will not send a single soldier to Ukraine, but are instead supplying the Ukrainian army with arms and have started to dial up sanctions. Sanctions, however, can pose one of two problems: They can be ineffective - see the 2014 measures against Moscow after its annexation of Crimea - or they can have a boomerang effect.

Russia has its military, but it also has the oil and gas Europe desperately needs to make it through the rest of this winter. How far does that boomerang effect hurt those that impose sanctions? What are the undue consequences of cutting Russia out of international banking or shutting down the oligarchs that surround Putin? More broadly, how much is the West willing to sacrifice?

Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Juliette Laurain and Léopoldine Iribarren.

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