Following remarks from the Oval Office dismissing sanctions advocates while discussing the release of detained American Stephen Hubbard, Ukrainian group Razom We Stand warns that waiving or lifting economic penalties before Russia ends its war of aggression completely reverses critical diplomatic leverage. As documented in our recent warning regarding waivers for Russia’s Sovereign Wealth Fund and incoming Russian diesel, offering preemptive concessions or treating sanctions as bargaining chips undermines the international rule of law. Economic restrictions should never be lifted prior to a complete cessation of hostilities; instead, sanctions must serve strictly as a conditional incentive—a carrot offered only when Vladimir Putin meaningfully commits to negotiating a just and lasting peace that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Dr. Svitlana Romanko, founder and executive director of Razom We Stand, said;
“Dismissing sanctions as useless while granting back-channel relief to Moscow directly undercuts our leverage for peace. Every concession handed to the Kremlin—whether by unfreezing financial assets or welcoming Russian petroleum into Western supply chains—rewards hostage diplomacy and finances further destruction across Ukraine. Serious economic restrictions have stripped more than a trillion dollars from Putin’s war chest; easing sanctions before the bombs stop falling only signals that aggression pays. Sanctions relief belongs at the end of the road to a just peace, not at the negotiating table as an unearned gift.”
The empirical record demonstrates that comprehensive economic pressure remains the single most effective tool to constrain the Kremlin’s war machine. According to European Union assessments presented by EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas, allied sanctions and export controls have already denied Russia over €1 trillion ($1.16 trillion) that would otherwise have directly funded missiles, munitions, and battlefield operations against Ukraine. Deriding these critical measures ignores the vital role economic containment plays in starving Putin’s war budget and preventing further escalation across Europe.
