Adam Smith said...

We must remember that our policy with respect to these states is not to increase sanctions for sanctions sake.

That's exactly what Putin has been after from the beginning. And so many people have sort of helped him do that by claim...

Humanitarian exceptions are important, I would argue, for moral reasons as well as political and strategic reasons.

Maduro has proven amenable to some sort of quid pro quo of sanctions relief for some moves for democratization.