[hintss]

and then they tell their population that you're giving them the material goods because they defeated you in a war, and that they blew up that ship.

[maxerickson]

Not one ship, dozens of them, month after month after month.

But that was mostly a silly suggestion, the idea is to try to think of a way to make the idea that things are better elsewhere more available to the broader population. No idea if it is possible, but I think trying to do that might be more humane than ever harsher economic sanctions.