Ukraine Crisis: Now, It’s Personal

With the US and European Union adding new sanctions that actually target the inner circle of the Putin dynasty, the goal is to apply direct economic pressure to Putin’s government without isolating the leader while limiting the harm done to the Russian People.  Given Putin’s personality, this could well provoke the Russian President into taking action to prove he is in control of the situation.  That said, the International Community must protect the integrity of the International Community and sanctioning the Russian power elite is the least destructive, more narrowest path possible.  The truth of the matter is that Putin will act if Putin wants to act, thus these sanctions will either accelerate his plans or derail them.  

Clearly, people are getting nervous.  We should be.  After all, we might be going from era where the primary focus of the International Community was terrorism and the disruptive behavior of small rogue states that do not conform to international norms back to one where the International Community is ravished by conflicts between major powers.  This is especially disconcerting given the fact the world is still recovering from the Great Recession.  Of course, a conflict with Russia would have always severely damaged our economy. 

Unfortunately, both Russia’s behavior and steps to punish Russia’s behavior risk destabilizing the International Community.  In many respects, President Obama and the leaders of the world are facing a “Civil War” type decision as President Abraham Lincoln once did that could tear our well-connected world apart.  Certainly, a potential conflict should be avoided, but there are far greater costs for failing to protect the widespread stability and prosperity our world has achieved over the last hundred years.