Sanctions have become one of the most heavily used tools in Western foreign policy, yet their effectiveness is being tested as never before. They were once seen as a measured response to aggression, offering a way to uphold international norms without military force. In practice, however, their impact is being blunted by overuse, sophisticated evasion, and an international environment that is less willing to accept Western leadership. Sanctions fatigue is becoming visible on several fronts. The loss of a broad international consensus is at the heart of the problem. Earlier generations of sanctions often relied on United Nations approval. Those measures had political weight because they reflected a shared decision by global powers. Today, the vast majority of active sanctions are imposed unilaterally or by regional blocs. They may be quicker to implement but they are also less persuasive. Countries that resent what they see as the extraterritorial reach of Western laws are increasingly reluctant to align themselves with these measures. The result is a fractured sanctions landscape that mirrors geopolitical rivalry more than a collective defence of global norms.
The decline of sanctions (Imran Khalid – Lowy The Interpreter)
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