‘16,000 sanctions… and Russia continues to move forward'
Speaking on his YouTube show on Thursday, Davis discussed US President Donald Trump's renewed push to pressure Moscow using new sanctions unless a peace deal is reached.
Earlier this week, Trump slashed his original 50-day deadline for Russia and Ukraine to settle the conflict down to just ten days.
He warned that a failure to do so would trigger sweeping penalties, including 100% tariffs and possible secondary sanctions targeting Russia's trade partners.
'One has to wonder on what basis President Trump still seems to think he can coerce Russia to come to the table,' Davis said, adding that previous deadlines have 'meant little.'
Moscow has repeatedly said it remains open to talks, but that any deal must reflect the realities on the ground and address the root causes of the conflict.
Davis, a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, questioned how further sanctions or timelines could shift the current strategic picture. Russia, he noted, has adapted to years of pressure.
'All these [Western] sanctions – the 18 rounds, the total of 16,000 measures the US has imposed on Russia over many years – have clearly had no impact,' he said. 'Russia continues to move forward because it has largely made itself self-sufficient.'
Trump acknowledged on Friday that the new measures may prove ineffective but confirmed his administration would move ahead unless a deal is reached.
According to Davis, if the latest deadline fails again, Trump risks looking 'ineffective, having exhausted his political capital.'
The Kremlin says Russia has long grown accustomed to Western pressure, calling the sanctions illegal and counterproductive. Moscow maintains they have backfired on countries imposing them.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that over 28,000 sanctions had been imposed against Russian companies and individuals, more than the total number of restrictions on all other countries combined. He stressed the measures have failed to destabilize the economy or isolate it.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
US fighter jets deploy flares to chase suspicious plane away from Trump golf club
US fighter jets were scrambled on Sunday to intercept a civilian aircraft that violated restricted airspace over President Donald Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, marking the fifth unauthorized incursion into the area over the weekend, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). The incident occurred around 12:50pm local time, when the general aviation aircraft entered a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) zone established due to Trump's presence in the area. NORAD deployed military jets to escort the plane, using flares to alert the pilot and ensure its safe removal from the zone. 'The flares – which may have been visible to the public – are employed with the highest regard for the safety of the intercepted aircraft and people on the ground,' NORAD said in a statement on Sunday. 'This intercept was preceded by one separate TFR violation earlier in the day, bringing the total to five unauthorized incursions over the course of the weekend.' The command noted that the flares are designed to burn out quickly and pose no danger to people on the ground. The aircraft was safely escorted out of the area without further incident. NORAD issued a renewed warning to general aviation pilots to check all Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs) before departure. 'Adhering to FAA restricted airspace protocols is mandatory, regardless of geographical region, airframe, or aircrew,' the statement added. NORAD operates a layered air defense network of radars, satellites, and fighter jets across North America to detect and respond to unauthorized aircraft incursions. Sunday's flare deployment follows a similar incident last month, when an F-16 fighter jet intercepted a civilian plane over Bedminster and performed a standard 'headbutt' maneuver to redirect the aircraft. That day also saw five separate TFR violations. Trump has frequently stayed at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster since returning to the White House in January. Temporary flight restrictions are routinely activated in the area during his visits, and any violations may lead to fines, interrogation, or suspension of pilot licenses.
Russia Today
2 hours ago
- Russia Today
Brazil ‘won't forget US helped stage a coup'
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has accused the United States of having 'helped stage a coup' in Brazil and condemned what he described as Washington's attempt to use political pressure to impose economic punishment on his country. Speaking at a Workers' Party event in Brasília on Sunday, Lula warned that Brazil would not accept unequal treatment and is ready to defend its interests on the global stage. 'I won't forget that they have already helped stage a coup here,' Lula said, apparently referencing former President Jair Bolsonaro's attempt to overturn the results of the 2022 election. 'Trying to use a political issue to economically sanction us is unacceptable,' he added, referring to recent US threats to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian exports. President Donald Trump linked the tariff threat to what he called a 'witch hunt' against the 'highly respected' Bolsonaro, who stands accused of attempting a coup to stay in power. Washington has also imposed sanctions on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing Bolsonaro's case. Lula stressed that Brazil is no longer economically dependent on the US, citing expanded global trade ties and stronger domestic fundamentals. He also reaffirmed his push for an alternative to the US dollar in international commerce. 'They want to end multilateralism… They want to go back to country-to-country deals where the big dominate the small,' Lula said. 'In other words, a small country negotiating with the United States is like a factory worker with 80,000 coworkers negotiating alone with the boss. The agreement is lopsided; you won't gain anything.' 'We have size, we have posture, we have strategic and economic interests… We want to negotiate, but we want to negotiate on equal terms,' he added. At 50%, Brazil would face the highest US import tariff globally. In addition, Trump has previously threatened an extra 10% tariff against BRICS members, accusing them of trying to 'destroy the dollar as the global standard.' Brazil is a founding member of BRICS, formed in 2006 with Russia, India, and China. The bloc has since expanded to include South Africa, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia. Its leaders have consistently stated they have no intention of weakening the dollar, arguing that Washington itself undermines it through political misuse.
Russia Today
6 hours ago
- Russia Today
Funding Kiev is ‘betrayal to majority of Americans'
US politicians who back funding for Kiev risk losing the support of their voters, US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has warned. Continued financial assistance for the Ukrainian government in its conflict with Russia is a 'complete betrayal' of the American people, the Georgia Republican has said. Her comments came just a day after a group of US senators introduced a bill to allocate $54.6 billion in aid to Ukraine over the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years. President Donald Trump has repeatedly opposed more US aid to Kiev, arguing that European nations should cover those costs. 'Funding, fueling, and ultimately fighting Russia in Ukraine would be a complete betrayal to the majority of Americans,' Greene wrote in a post on X on Saturday, adding that 'America voted to end funding and fighting foreign wars' in the 2024 presidential elections that Donald Trump won. US taxpayers do not want to pay to murder people 'in some foreign land over a foreign conflict that has absolutely zero effect on our lives,' the congresswoman stated, adding that Republicans supporting such policies could 'lose the younger generation of voters and may never get them back.' Americans under 50 are 'beginning to feel completely unrepresented by both parties,' particularly because of various initiatives funded by taxpayer money that have already 'made life unaffordable and the future bleak for the vast majority of average Americans,' she warned. The Trump administration has repeatedly expressed concerns about the potential misuse of US aid to Ukraine. Trump himself has claimed on several occasions that billions of dollars allocated by the Biden administration may have been embezzled. Former Trump adviser Steve Cortes has also criticized continued aid, calling Ukraine 'corrupt' and cautioning that its leadership 'cannot be trusted' following a recent crackdown on anti-corruption bodies. Greene herself has previously labelled Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky a 'dictator' and called for his removal, accusing him of blocking peace efforts. Russia has consistently warned that military and financial assistance to Kiev only fuels the conflict and leads to more bloodshed.
