Joe Biden is talking a big game with his announcement today – the day before the two year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine – of “500 new sanctions” on Russia, regarding both the Ukraine war and the death of Alexei Navalny. If only these sanctions would actually make a difference.

Let’s first look at what the new sanctions involve. Biden gave a short speech announcing them at the White House – and then immediately shifted into demanding that House Republicans pass the current foreign funding bill in order to give more money to Ukraine.

But let me be clear. House of Representatives must pass the bipartisan national security bill. The bill provides urgent funding for Ukraine. And it passed overwhelmingly in the Senate. And there’s no question, none. None. If the speaker call for a vote in the House would pass easily today. Instead, they went on vacation. I mean, it’s just…Well. Look, folks, all kidding aside, history’s watching.

Clock is ticking. Brave Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are dying. Russia. Russia is taking Ukraine territory for the first time in many months. But here in America, a speaker gave the House a two week vacation. They have to come back. They have to come back and get this done. Because failure to support Ukraine in this critical moment will never be forgotten in history. It will be measured and it will have impact for decades to come.

Not only has Speaker Johnson said that the House will not be “rushed” on passing the foreign aid bill, there is a rich amount of irony in Biden telling people to come back from vacation.

When the Russian Coup leader was shot out of the air, and fires were burning down Maui, Biden was enjoying lake Tahoe and couldn't be bothered to comment on it. He's spent 40% of his presidency on vacation. This isn't going to work. https://t.co/GGH4QbuKjP

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) February 23, 2024

So that attempted guilt trip won’t fly. But let’s look at what the new sanctions are, and what they’re supposed to do. The answer: not much. Apparently, the “devastating consequences” that Joe Biden once vowed to unleash if Alexei Navalny died in Russian prison mean that those in charge of the prison system where Navalny died are now being officially sanctioned. Much punishment, such wow.

In addition to sanctions imposed by the US Treasury and State Departments, the administration also announced trade restrictions against more than 90 entities through the Department of Commerce.

Among those targeted are three Russian prison officials connected to Navalny.

The State Department sanctions hit Valeriy Gennadevich Boyarinev, the deputy director of the Federal Penitentiary Service, which has oversight of the penal colony where the opposition figure died, who “reportedly instructed prison staff to exert harsher treatment on … Navalny while he was in detention,” according to a State Department face sheet.

“Following Navalny’s death, Boyarinev was promoted to ‘Colonel General’ by decree of Vladimir Putin,” the fact sheet said.

They also target Igor Borisovich Rakitin, “the overall head of the Federal Penitentiary Service of1322 Russia for the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, in which Penal Colony IK-3 is located,” and Vadim Konstantinovich Kalinin, the prison warden. IK-3, nicknamed “Polar Wolf,” is where Navalny was imprisoned immediately before his death.

The sanctions package released Friday doesn’t directly sanction Putin. He is already sanctioned, according to a Treasury official.

Each individual or entity gets a separate listing on the sanctions list, which is how it can add up to 500 new sanctions. The problem is that the Biden administration has already shot their wad when it comes to making sanctions on Russia hurt – and the administration acknowledges that Putin has already found ways around the previous sanctions.

The Treasury Department will impose additional price cap sanctions that will make it more costly for Russia to get around sanctions, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told reporters in a Thursday night call previewing the sanctions. He touted the Biden administration’s price cap on Russian oil, saying that the Kremlin has invested money on trying to adapt to the sanctions and evade them.

New sanctions will also target Russian companies and third-country providers that help with Russia’s military efforts, making it harder for the Kremlin to purchase the goods it needs to build weapons for its war against Ukraine, Adeyemo added.

In addition to those, State is also sanctioning more than 250 entities and individuals who have evaded previous sanctions and bolstered Moscow’s future energy and metals and mining production, the department said in a statement. Several people also faced imposed sanctions and visa restrictions for the transfer or deportation of Ukrainian children during the war.

Biden, after meeting with Putin at a 2021 summit, had promised “devastating” consequences for Russia if the imprisoned opposition leader were to die. But nearly three years later, the Biden administration had already exhausted many of its tools to punish Russia – and Putin had managed to somewhat mitigate the damage felt to his nation’s economy.

There is little doubt that the Russian economy is ailing, but Putin has no intention of quitting the battlefield and not taking Ukraine for himself and a new Russian Empire. Ben Shapiro is of the opinion Putin is looking to outlast the West in regards to Ukraine – and it does seem like this is Putin’s current strategy.

Vladimir Putin is an aggressive dictator whose interests do not coincide with those of America. He sees weakness in the West, and he knows he can outlast Western opposition. Given our current trajectory, that’s a solid bet.

pic.twitter.com/Ey5tKsjgmT

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 21, 2024

These sanctions may have an impact on Russia and Putin, but these aren’t hard enough or broad enough to actually hurt. These sanctions are so individually tailored that it makes the Biden administration look like they are trying for death by a thousand paper cuts.

If the Biden administration was actually serious about inflicting real economic pain on Russia, in hopes of bringing them to a negotiating table, they would need to do two things that they are antithetically opposed to. The first thing? Sanctioning CHINA. Why China? They are the ones buying Russian oil, and therefore, keeping the Russian economy on life support.

The volume of Russian crude shipped to China jumped 24% in 2023 to 107.02 million metric tons, compared to 2022, according to data released by China’s General Administration of Customs on Saturday.

That helped Russia overtake Saudi Arabia as China’s largest crude oil supplier for the year. The Middle Eastern country shipped 85.96 million metric tons of crude oil to China in 2023, down 2% from 2022.

Russia became China’s largest oil supplier eight years ago, but it fell behind Saudi Arabia between 2019 and 2021, when the Gulf nation boosted its energy trade with Beijing.

However, since 2022, China has amplified its purchase of cheaper Russian oil after the West hit Moscow with unprecedented sanctions. China’s imports of Russian crude increased 8% in 2022 to 86.24 million metric tons, compared to 2021. Its neighbor India also ramped up its purchases sharply.

Russia even gave China a price discount on the oil.

China’s total spending on Russian crude reached $60.64 billion last year. That translates to an average import price of $566.64 per metric ton, according to CNN’s calculation. This was about 10% cheaper than the average price it paid for Saudi crude, which was $626.86 per metric ton.

Russia’s oil discounts have helped China reduce its energy bills. Despite an 11% increase in its overall volume of crude imports, including from Saudi Arabia and Iraq, its total spending on oil purchases actually dropped 7.7% in 2023 to $337.5 billion compared to 2022, customs data showed.

If the Biden administration was serious about pushing trade sanctions against “third-country providers,” then China and India would be at the top of the list. But sanctioning China would run directly against everything the Biden administration is trying to push in their “soft on China” policies. This administration can’t even decide if they would protect Taiwan or not, much less keep a Chinese spy balloon out of American air space. Sanctioning China to punish Russia? Biden would never do it.

The other thing that Biden could do to hurt Russia? This wouldn’t even involve sanctions, just the free market. Increase oil and energy production, and offer to let Europe buy American oil, which would naturally block the sanctioned Russian oil out of the European markets. But asking the Biden administration to INCREASE oil and energy production? That’s like asking Joe Biden to stop eating ice cream. The administration is so high on their own “green” emissions that they can’t even commit to turning the spigots back on regarding liquid natural gas exports – something that Europe actually NEEDS and WANTS. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm claims that the “pause” isn’t a big deal, even as she can’t say when it will end.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm can’t provide a timeline for ending Joe Biden’s LNG pause. pic.twitter.com/sJqTlZnBEU

— Conservative War Machine (@WarMachineRR) February 21, 2024

The Democrats are so wedded to the “Green New Deal” left wing right now that they can’t even comprehend why increasing energy production across the board would be a GOOD idea. It’s going to take a new administration or a disaster of catastrophic proportions to get energy production back on track in this country. But Joe Biden can’t make the mental stretch to realize that more American energy on the market would create less of an opening for Russia, and without being able to sell that oil, Russia’s economy would be crippled.

Unfortunately, today’s announced sanctions are a lot of bark, but little bite. In order to really bring the pain to Russia, Joe Biden would have to be willing to buck his own left wing, and his own administration’s goals. Joe Biden can’t even get up a short flight of stairs without Kamala Harris salivating in the wings. He can’t even remember Alexei Navalny’s wife’s first name after just speaking with her. He doesn’t project either an image of strength or mental competence on the world stage. I have a sneaking suspicion that Putin looked over the readout on the 500 new sanctions, said “meh,” and went back to stroking his white pet Persian cat sitting in his lap.

Featured image: original Victory Girls art by Darleen Click