Are Sanctions on Russia Working? Intelligence Squared Announces Live Debate on Global Sanctions

Leading Foreign Policy Experts to Face Off on Whether Economic Sanctions Actually Work as Diplomatic Tools

LONDON, Oct. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Intelligence Squared, in partnership with GlobalSanctions.com, announced a major live public debate examining one of the most contentious questions in modern foreign policy: "Sanctions Don't Work as a Tool of Foreign Policy." The high-profile event will take place on Monday, October 13, 2025, at 7:00 PM BST at Smith Square Hall in Westminster, London.

The debate brings together four distinguished experts to argue whether economic sanctions achieve their intended diplomatic goals or merely serve as "political theatre" while inflicting unintended consequences. With sanctions increasingly deployed in response to territorial aggression, human rights violations, and other international misconduct, the timing of this debate reflects urgent questions facing policymakers worldwide.

Rebecca Harding, economist and authority on global trade and geopolitics, will join Ian Proud, the former British diplomat who authorized approximately half of all UK sanctions against Russia between 2019-2022, in arguing for the motion that sanctions don't work. They will face Edward Lucas, The Times columnist and expert on Russian foreign policy, and Tom Keatinge, founding director of the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies at RUSI, who will defend sanctions as effective foreign policy tools.

The debate will be chaired by Anne McElvoy, Executive Editor at POLITICO and host of the Power Play podcast.

"Sanctions have become one of the most widely used tools in modern foreign policy, imposed not only on states but also on individual leaders, oligarchs and corporations," according to the official event description. "From trade embargoes to asset freezes and travel bans, sanctions are deployed in response to everything from territorial aggression to human rights abuses."

The event represents a unique opportunity to hear from practitioners with direct experience implementing sanctions policy. Ian Proud, who will argue against sanctions effectiveness, oversaw significant portions of UK sanctions policy during his diplomatic career but has since concluded that these measures "failed to deter Russian aggression and hurt Europe more than Moscow." Rebecca Harding, joining Proud via video link in arguing for the motion, brings expertise as an economist and authority on global trade, geopolitics, and the practical impacts of economic measures on international commerce.

Opposing this view, sanctions advocates Edward Lucas and Tom Keatinge will argue that properly targeted measures can "pressure both states and individuals without harming wider populations" through strategic use of asset freezes, travel restrictions, and financial system exclusions.

Tickets for in-person attendance at Smith Square Hall range from £19-£25 for general admission, with limited concession tickets available for £10. The debate will also be available via free livestream through Eventbrite registration, enabling global participation in this critical foreign policy discussion.

The 90-minute debate promises to examine real-world case studies and provide concrete analysis of sanctions effectiveness, offering audiences the chance to hear evidence from both sides before forming their own conclusions on this pivotal diplomatic tool.

About Intelligence Squared

Intelligence Squared is the world's premier forum for debate and intelligent discussion. Founded to promote reasoned discourse on the issues that matter most, Intelligence Squared hosts live debates, conversations, and events that bring together the world's leading thinkers to examine the big questions of our time. Through rigorous, evidence-based debate, Intelligence Squared creates space for nuanced discussion that goes beyond polarized discourse to help audiences think more clearly about complex global issues.

Event Details:
Date: Monday, October 13, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM BST
Location: Smith Square Hall, St John's Smith Square, Westminster, London SW1P 3HA
Tickets: Available at sinfoniasmithsq.org.uk and intelligencesquared.com
Livestream: Free registration at eventbrite.co.uk

Media Contact:
Contact: Intelligence Squared Press Office
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 7749525817

SOURCE Intelligence Squared