Isolate Putin to drive home the message
DESPITE the vast amount of taxpayers’ money that has been spent on endeavouring to keep the peace, once again, we have a war in Europe. Vladimir Putin has torn up all those expensively negotiated peace deals, played with pleading European leaders at carefully choreographed meetings, listened but ignored what President Biden had to say, then sent in his troops supported by air bombardment.
Sadly, the portents for the future are not good for the world as a whole, for I have a nasty feeling that with all eyes on the Ukraine, China will consider that the time is ripe for them to retake possession of Taiwan, thus opening the possibility of a very bloody conflict with the USA.
Now Boris, after a slow start, is toughening up on sanctions against Russia, but these are mostly of a financial nature and will take time to have real effect. However, Putin is no fool and he will have factored in such possibilities before firing the starting gun. What Europe as a whole needs to do is to take actions that will have immediate and wide effect. Banning Aeroflot was, I hope, just the start, but closing the door on all travel to and from Russia both for passengers and goods would have a bigger impact. Yes,
Germany and others who depend on Russian gas would have to be helped, but isolating Putin would drive the message home to the Russian people who at the end of the day, will have to see that this power-mad ex-KGB officer with a grudge, is removed from office.
For Putin, I am sure that Ukraine is just the start with the Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia next in line, probably followed by Poland. He wants to rebuild the old Soviet empire and the loss of a few thousand lives on both sides doesn’t concern him.
Meanwhile, bearing in mind the phrase “it is an ill wind” etc, all media comments about lockdown parties have vanished from the scene. In the real world, even politicians will accept that it would not be a very good idea to change a leader with an international crisis building. For this, Boris and others will no doubt be grateful. The other by-product is that many businesses may well think that it will be a good idea to shift production back to the UK for stability of supply. Interesting times!
Russell Luckock is chairman of Birmingham pressings firm
AE Harris