Putin the boot into Russia.. but more action is needed

Never before has there been such a collective expulsion of Russian spies in history demonstrating Britain doesn’t stand alone after the Salisbury poisoning.

The kicking out of more than 100 intelligence officers by 21 countries, including Ireland, comes at a heavy price to Vladimir Putin who now appears more isolated than ever.

Leading the co-ordinated reaction following Theresa May’s expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats from the UK was the United States.

After weeks of dithering, America went on the front foot ordering 60 Moscow officials, including 12 suspected intelligence agents at the Russian mission at the United Nations, to leave by Monday.

It was a move that was well overdue for Donald Trump, whose long refusal to criticise Putin and hesitancy to act against Russia’s malign behaviour have raised suspicions Moscow knows secrets it could use to blackmail the President.

His administration’s decision to kick out 60 of the Russian leader’s spies offers some hope the President may finally be forced to deal with the threat the Kremlin

poses to the States and its Western allies. But the emphasis is on “hope”.

If there is one thing we have learned by now during Trump’s tenure in the White House, it is this President has repeatedly shown he is very capable of doing things previously considered unthinkable.

And that’s all the more reason to be glad he did not do so this time.

There is no doubt the expulsion of Russian spies is a blow to Putin’s intelligence services, but it is only temporary.

Moscow has an army of trolls and hackers operating online, many of whom have been busy attempting to sow confusion about responsibility for the use of the nerve agent on Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

Putin depends on a network of government ministers and business owners to fund these operations.

He almost certainly will retaliate, he will be unable not to continue the downward spiral in Russian-american relations unheard-of since the Cold War.

That will further disrupt the ability of the two nations and others to work on serious challenges, like defusing a new nuclear arms race and ending the war in Syria. If there is any good to come from Russia’s actions in Salisbury, it is that it has now backed Trump into a political corner. The President still panders to Putin, even as he intensifies criticism of the special counsel, Robert Mueller, and the former FBI director’s investigation into Trump associates’ web of Russian ties.

The most recent example occurred last week when Trump, who has scarce calls with the leaders of America’s closest allies, made a point of calling Putin to congratulate him on his recent fraudulent re-election.

Missing from the call was any scolding for the nerve agent attack that prompted Monday’s expulsions or any demand that Putin stops meddling in American elections. Instead, he promised to meet the Russian leader soon before taking to Twitter to argue, again, that “getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing”.

Getting along would be good, on the right terms.

But it’s not feasible as long as the Kremlin is dedicated to disrupting Western governments and elections, overthrowing neighbours such as Ukraine, and murdering its opponents on foreign soil using banned chemical agents.

Putin needs to be deterred. Expelling a few dozen of his spies is a step, but it does not suffice.

The world is waiting, Mr President. And watching.