Smart sanctions can save Trump’s ‘peace through strength’ plan 

Following a March 9 phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Trump announced that he would be easing oil-related sanctions on some countries. This step, which follows reports that the U.S. was planning to remove sanctions on Russian oil, is a response to the sharp jump in the price of oil stemming from Iran’s success in blocking oil exports from the Persian Gulf, which provides about 20 percent of global supply. This is a sensible measure to address a dangerous, unintended consequence of the military operation against Iran. The sharp increase in oil prices is a threat to the global economy.

But this step is also dangerous for U.S. interests in Europe and even the Middle East. And that danger needs to be contained. Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine is a direct threat to European and transatlantic stability and security. The U.S. has responded to this by imposing costs on Russia including of sanctions on Russia’s economy and, especially its hydrocarbon production. The easing of sanctions undermines this effort to starve Moscow’s military machine.

What’s more, this decision comes at a particularly problematic moment. Widely reported U.S. assessments confirm that Moscow is providing Iran with military intelligence to target U.S. and Israeli forces; and........

© The Hill