It doesn't really matter who the citizens blame, people really over-emphasize the revolutionary potential of sanctions but the far more important & practical pu

It doesn't really matter who the citizens blame, people really over-emphasize the revolutionary potential of sanctions but the far more important & practical purpose of sanctions is to limit state's economic and technological capability to continue its destructive behavior. Look at Iran now: a pariah state whose power has been effectively contained, limited in its ability to fund a substantial warchest or buy modern weapons & technology. It's currently working with the US on a new nuclear deal to ameliorate its heavy sanctions. Russia can look forward to a similar future. Military invasions cost a lot of resources, the current invasion is largely funded by European gas sales and a variety of foreign trade. Aside from weapons & tech, military morale is an important factor in combat effectiveness, but it's also affected by resource availability. A less resourced military is a less capable one. We're beyond just deterrence now. Russian citizens can blame everyone except Putin, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that when Putin's military lackeys draw up plans, when they threaten others, they do so with a fraction of the tech and resources they are used to. Let's see them bully a 21st century world with a 20th century economy.