Where ever you hear "sanctions" and "blessing" in one sentence just say fuck you and block it.
Dictators all around the world really love that analysis, sanctions are real blessing for dictators, they can make secrete deals and behinde the door negotiations.
An elite we call "sanction traders" rise from this theory.
They eploit this vague situation, make international deals and take a huge cut from all the sides involved.
Lack of transparency is friends with totalitarians and dictators. They thrive in it. They abuse their people on account of sanctions, and get richer and stronger.