Commentary The Western world is united in its response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Western countries, including the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, have imposed a bevy of sanctions expected to hurt the Russian economy. One such sanction that lately received a great deal of media coverage is the seizure of the assets of Russian oligarchs held in the West. These include luxury villas, yachts, and bank accounts. In this context, the word “oligarch” is mainly used pejoratively. The word has been in use since the early 1600s and is based on the Greek language but is typically reserved to describe a rich Russian business billionaire. The seizure of assets of Russian oligarchs is regarded as a justifiable expression of revenge that potentially may shorten the war in Ukraine. However, a closer look at these sanctions suggests that, often, it is grounded in a doubtful …