Russia, which has still not signed a peace-treaty with Japan after WW II because of territorial disputes, broke off peace talks and began military drills involving 3000 or more troops on the South Kuril islands, including disputed territories. This follows on Japan’s levying of sanctions against Russia, in the wake of the Ukraine operation.

Why are sanctions still regarded as effective responses to military and political threats? They are diplomatically provocative, politically ineffective,  economically wide-ranging and unpredictable in effect, and ONLY serve to escalate dangerous situations.