Is the West Finally Getting Serious About Imposing Pain on Vladimir Putin?

WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

The Wall Street Journal

Society & Culture, News

4 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 21 July 2025

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The European Union places tougher economic sanctions on Russia amid its war on Ukraine. Will Donald Trump do the same at last? Plus, a populist wave hits Japan as the Liberal Democratic Party loses its majority in the upper house as voters revolt against inflation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Oh, that's my prime delivery.
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0:23.0	$899 a month, join now. Content includes limited ads, subscription or to renews. For more information,
0:28.2	go to amazon.com.uk.U.K. slash prime. From the opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal,
0:35.9	this is Potomac Watch. Is the West really waking up about
0:41.7	the threat from Vladimir Putin and willing to do more to help Ukraine and force a ceasefire? And
0:48.2	is Donald Trump serious about the plan to put more pressure on Putin to get a ceasefire in Ukraine. Plus, what is going on in Japan,
0:58.0	where voters on Sunday took away the ruling party's majority in the upper house of the
1:03.6	diet, which is the equivalent of the U.S. Senate? And what are the stakes for the United States
1:09.0	in Japan's new era of a new potential majority?
1:14.5	Those are subjects for today on Potomac Watch. I'm here with my colleagues, Joe Sternberg and Kate
1:19.4	Batchelor. I'm Paul's You Go, editor of the editorial page. So let's start with Russia.
1:24.6	It seems to be a big policy shift in the last week. President Trump agreeing to send new arms to Ukraine via European purchases and also threatening
1:34.0	Russia with new so-called secondary sanctions on its oil and gas sales to other countries
	...

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