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ven earlier than its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia confronted isolation and financial sanctions by the West for its annexation of Crimea and assist for separatists within the Donbas area. Its Olympic athletes couldn’t compete underneath the Russian flag as punishment for state-sponsored doping violations and its financial system was in a chronic torpor.
Immediately, Russia is a fully-fledged pariah state. Its central financial institution has been sanctioned, its foreign money is in freefall and the belongings of its leaders are frozen. Whereas Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky obtained a standing ovation from the European Parliament, Russia’s diplomatic isolation was illustrated yesterday when Western delegations staged a walkout as Russian international minister Sergey Lavrov spoke through video hyperlink in a speech to the UN Human Rights Council.
China, Syria and Venezuela have been three of the few who remained seated. And even China abstained final week on the United Nations Safety Council decision condemning Russia, whereas it now calls the invasion a “battle”, which represents a change in place and steered it might be ready to behave as mediator.
The West might cease in need of a no-fly zone over Ukraine, however Russia’s airways are just about grounded and its soccer groups have been kicked out of Fifa and Uefa competitions. All of the whereas some Russians, appalled on the actions of their chief, whose financial institution playing cards have stopped working, are leaving the nation.
The Prime Minister has a brand new slogan: “Putin should fail.” And in his first State of the Union handle, President Joe Biden reaffirmed his “unwavering resolve that freedom will at all times overcome tyranny”.
The scenario dealing with peculiar Ukrainians is terrifying. Civilian casualties rise each day. It was reported right this moment {that a} youngsters’s physician was killed when Russian forces opened hearth on her automotive as she drove her injured nephew to hospital. The scenes of determined folks making an attempt to board any practice heading west conjure horrible flashbacks to Europe’s darkest days.
However the world is watching. Putin’s aggression can’t be allowed to succeed. As Ukraine heroically fights on, the West should be ready for a protracted battle in defence of freedom.
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