“If the sanctions overwhelmingly passed by Congress last week sent any message to Moscow, it was that Mr. Trump’s hands are now tied in dealing with Moscow, probably for years to come.” In the NYT, David Sanger makes the (quite interesting, somewhat debatable) case that Putin’s bet on a Trump presidency has backfired spectacularly.”

+ In retaliation for sanctions, Putin is cutting the number of US diplomats allowed to work in Russia. The New Yorker on what that move might mean.

+ When it comes to what Putin sees as a success and as a failure, remember, it’s not about politics. It’s about money. From Fortune: Vladimir Putin is reportedly richer than Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos combined. (And he’s never even given a second thought to providing free shipping…)

+ And a reminder: To understand Putin and the sanctions, you have to understand the Magnitsky Act.