I was taken aback on Wednesday March 12 when reports started coming in of more sanctions on Russia from the United States and the European Union. How become the West are threatening "more sanctions" even when what they said was their first round of "sanctions" never got implemented? Threats of sanction came hot on the heels of March 1 when Russia Upper House of Parliament unanimously approved the use of force in Ukraine. Putin has had his parliament rubber stamp his wish to occupy the former Soviet member state.
After a few days of diplomatic rants and wrangling, Washington and Brussels could not contain an already agitated Putin. For sure the Sochi Olympic Games were wrapping up and Putin must put himself into something new, lest he become bored. The Sochi Games were dubbed by western media as "The Putin Project"; little did the world know that Putin had a bigger and more exciting "project". Over throw the Kremlin leaning President and I come and take over Crimea", Putin must have muttered to himself.
What was said to be the first round of western sanctions turned out to be nothing, but diplomatic gloss. President Obama had signed an executive order imposing visa ban on top officials in the Putin administration. This sounded like a desperate act because visa ban cannot move Putin. In coordination with its allies in the G8, which by now (minus Putin with his Russia) temporarily came G7, the west announced a boycott of preparations for the upcoming Sochi summit of the bloc in Russia.
It was clear to every observer of international politics and diplomacy that the west can bark had at Putin and his Russia, but cannot bite.
Any meaningful sanctions on Russia by the west will certainly harm both sides of the divide. The UK financial sector, the German manufacturing and American businesses all have a stake in Russia. Sanction Russia and the Germans will find it hard to get another big market to export to. Sanction Russia and the UK's financial system will be starved of the stream that flows in from Russia. How about American companies? Surely American companies need the Russian market.
Western Europe and Winter:
It is Russian gas that keeps western Europe warm in the chilly winter. Western European states must tread carefully and ensure that whatever they decide with Washington, does not lead to Putin turning off the gas taps.
In the battle between the west and Russia for dominance in Ukraine, it is Ukraine that suffers. The west have very little, if any, diplomatic levers that they can pull and twist to make Moscow move.
After a few days of diplomatic rants and wrangling, Washington and Brussels could not contain an already agitated Putin. For sure the Sochi Olympic Games were wrapping up and Putin must put himself into something new, lest he become bored. The Sochi Games were dubbed by western media as "The Putin Project"; little did the world know that Putin had a bigger and more exciting "project". Over throw the Kremlin leaning President and I come and take over Crimea", Putin must have muttered to himself.
What was said to be the first round of western sanctions turned out to be nothing, but diplomatic gloss. President Obama had signed an executive order imposing visa ban on top officials in the Putin administration. This sounded like a desperate act because visa ban cannot move Putin. In coordination with its allies in the G8, which by now (minus Putin with his Russia) temporarily came G7, the west announced a boycott of preparations for the upcoming Sochi summit of the bloc in Russia.
It was clear to every observer of international politics and diplomacy that the west can bark had at Putin and his Russia, but cannot bite.
Any meaningful sanctions on Russia by the west will certainly harm both sides of the divide. The UK financial sector, the German manufacturing and American businesses all have a stake in Russia. Sanction Russia and the Germans will find it hard to get another big market to export to. Sanction Russia and the UK's financial system will be starved of the stream that flows in from Russia. How about American companies? Surely American companies need the Russian market.
Western Europe and Winter:
It is Russian gas that keeps western Europe warm in the chilly winter. Western European states must tread carefully and ensure that whatever they decide with Washington, does not lead to Putin turning off the gas taps.
In the battle between the west and Russia for dominance in Ukraine, it is Ukraine that suffers. The west have very little, if any, diplomatic levers that they can pull and twist to make Moscow move.