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Lowering Sanctions Isn’t Enough – Here’s What To Do To Stop Putin


It’s still not enough.

The supply of impressive defensive weapons to the Ukrainian army, while vital to the country’s considerable resistance and resilience, has not been enough to stop Putin’s air strikes against the civilian targets and urban centers.

The unprecedented economic and financial sanctions against Russia, while historic in their scope and scope, are still insufficient to deter the President Vladimir Putin from the escalation of its bitter war on Ukraine.

They are not enough.

Unforeseen transatlantic and international unification – i141-5 . resolution not included of the United Nations General Assembly demanding that Putin end the war and withdraw his troops – did not discourage Putin. What better sign could Putin have made of himself than the quartet that voted with him: Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and Syria?

However, that is still not enough.

Too many countries in the world continue to turn a blind eye. There are 35 countries in the United Nations abstinence From condemning Russia, hopefully Putin’s evil will pass without forcing them to take a stand against this international crime.

Efforts by the United States and some of our international partners to embarrass the President of China Xi Jinping Pulling his support away from Putin’s war machine has also failed, although no action by the country at this time can do more to save lives and end the war.

Putin got the green light from China for his invasion from President Xi Command 5,300 words at the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, saying that their relationship “has no bounds.” Putin has kept his part of the bargain – non-aggression until Mr. Xi’s Olympics are over. Mr. Xi doesn’t seem ready to separate himself from Putin in any meaningful way.

What the civilized world has done so far in response to Putin’s invasion is a remarkable display of solidarity. The Biden Administration deserves credit for the early release of intelligence on Putin’s plansthus focusing the story and blaming where it belongs, and then regrouping the world afterwards.

Europe’s combined actions against Putin are particularly impressive, given the country’s proximity to Moscow and its dependence on Russian energy. Over the weekend, Germany has done more than in the previous two decades to combat Russian revisionism: rescind the embargo on arms sales to Ukraine, dramatically increased defense spending to 2% of GDP, and in particular $100 billion spending plan for the Bundeswehr in its 2022 budget.

If all that is still not enough to change Putin’s course, the only responsible option is to do more and do it faster: more sanctions, more military support, national unity more economical.

There are two compelling reasons why.

The first is humanitarian: Putin’s relentless attacks on Ukrainian civilians have prompted Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since World War II.

The second is a historical imperative: The need to reverse a global trajectory could allow brutal authoritarianism or bloody chaos to shape the global future.

“Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine ended a historic 30-year American vacation” Robert M. Gates wrote in the Washington Post, applying his views from eight US administrations, including the positions of Secretary of Defense and CIA Director. “For the first time since World War II, the United States faces powerful, aggressive enemies in Europe and Asia seeking to restore its past glory with its territories and scope. influence has been claimed. … Putin’s war has provided the necessary showers to wake democratic governments to the realities of a new world, one where recent strategy Ours is not enough to meet the long-term challenges we face.”

It is clear and encouraging that Putin’s war on Ukraine is in these respects not a dangerous period but a historic challenge.

With that in mind, what should be done?

The Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security has provided some actionable military ideas. through a survey of 37 leading national security experts. They evaluate them by weighing the positive benefits against the risk of escalation.

Best of batches include:

  • Send more armed drones that the Ukrainians are using with great success.
  • Providing “ready-made” electronic warfare capabilities, including satellite navigation and communications jammers, would enhance Ukraine’s ability to disrupt and slow Putin’s advance.
  • Strengthen Ukraine’s vital short-range air defense capabilities by providing additional ground-based, close-range weapons systems to better defend against Russian aircraft and missile attacks.

In addition, I also support a part of the no-fly zone over the most western provinces of Ukraine, close to the borders of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. One can understand why the US and NATO denied a no-fly zone over the whole of Ukraine, but in Western Ukraine this is a humanitarian imperative, militarily easier because it is close to western air bases. more and it will demonstrate our resolve to Putin.

At the same time, the US, Europe and their global partners should add to the impressive array of sanctions against Russia.

Their impact to date, Brian O’Toole and Daniel Fried of the Writing Council “razed the Russian financial system, broke the ruble, fueled a potentially sovereign default and could plunge the Russian economy into recession.”

However, as Putin’s forces continue their assault, targeting civilians and turning urban centers to dust, O’Toole and Fried offer a menuin order of increasing impact of the next steps:

  • An extension of sanctions against Putin’s henchmen and subordinates.
  • Extending sanctions on more banks and key companies (they recommend Gazprombank, Russian Agricultural Bank, AlfaBank, Sovosystem, Russian Railways and Alrosa diamond company)
  • Block the Russian government through sanctioning all Russian state-owned companies.
  • If all else fails, enact an outright financial embargo that will ban all trades, exports, and imports with Russia.

There is no question that Putin will continue to escalate, if not do more to stop him.

“I think Putin is angry and frustrated right now” CIA Director William Burns told House Intelligence Committee last week. “He has the ability to double up and try to take down the Ukrainian army without regard for civilian casualties.”

Putin has lost: He will never be able to completely pacify and occupy Ukraine, and he has inflicted generations of damage on Russia, on which he is determined to build strength and prestige. credit. However, his opponents did not win. Saving Ukraine and sustaining their newfound common cause is key to shaping the global future.

To that end, what has been achieved before Putin so far is remarkable, but still not enough.

Frederick Kempe is the President and CEO of the Atlantic Council.



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