Don’t Be Fooled: Sanctions Are a Smokescreen
- john raymond
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Before anyone rushes to claim that Trump “must not be working for Putin” because he didn’t lift U.S. sanctions on Russia—let’s pause, take a breath, and actually understand what’s happening here.
Because this is how asymmetric warfare works: It relies on confusion. It relies on the illusion of plausible deniability. It relies on people mistaking surface gestures for meaningful action.
And keeping existing sanctions in place—at least for now—is a surface gesture, not a meaningful break from his traitorous Russia-aligned strategy.
When Optics Matter More Than the Action
Yes, Trump hasn’t removed sanctions—yet. But ask yourself: what would removing them actually accomplish for Putin right now?
American companies aren’t rushing to invest in Russia.
U.S. public opinion is firmly anti-Kremlin.
European allies would double down on helping Ukraine.
And the blowback would be immediate, politically and diplomatically.
Trump knows that. He knows he doesn’t need to lift sanctions to help Russia. He just needs to stall, block aid to Ukraine, and create enough internal division that Russia has space to maneuver.
That’s the move. That’s the game. Not a pro-Russia statement. But a pro-Russia silence.
The Real Test? Ukraine Aid (or Crippling New Sanctions)
If you want to know where Trump stands, don’t look at what he hasn’t changed yet. Look at what he’s avoiding.
There is no meaningful push from the Trump administration for new Ukraine support packages. There is no urgency to replenish the weapons, logistics, and intelligence pipelines. There is no rhetorical defense of Ukraine’s sovereignty coming from his circle. If anything, the opposite is true. You see:
Quiet signals about backroom negotiations.
Efforts to pressure allies into “peace” deals that favor Russia.
Proposals to shift the burden to Europe while America “steps back.”
That’s not neutrality. That’s surrender by stealth. That’s asymmetric sabotage.
This Is the Pattern
You need to understand the playbook:
Say just enough to keep skeptics confused.
Avoid overt alignment until it’s safe.
Delay the actions that matter while distracting with actions that don’t.
We’ve seen it before:
In the walk-backs of intelligence findings.
In the refusal to call out Putin after attacks.
In the sidelining of NATO.
In the years-long effort to hollow out U.S. foreign policy institutions.
Sanctions? They’re a decoy. A placeholder. A non-move dressed as strategy. The real strategy is paralysis.
It’s the Inaction That Speaks Loudest
So don’t be fooled.Don’t let anyone gaslight you with, “Well, he didn’t lift the sanctions…”
Ask instead:
What is he doing to help Ukraine?
What is he doing to rebuild U.S. alliances?
What is he doing to protect democratic sovereignty?
Where are the new sanctions on Russia and its evil leaders?
Because those are the things that matter. Not the headlines. Not the half-measures. Not the things that don’t change anything.
If you want to track the true loyalties of a leader, watch not what they say—but what they do. And right now? Ukraine aid is being delayed to death. New sanctions on Russia are not forthcoming.
By design.
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