Russia and Israel respond - Sanctions lose power to influence

In recent weeks there has been great, assured talk about imposing game-changing sanctions to bring Russian paramilitary proxies in Ukraine to heel. There were similar if far louder suggestions about how commercial or moral pressure might be exerted on Israel to end the atrocious bombardment of the captive population of Gaza.

Those who made these suggestions did so in the absolute belief that such an expression of distasted — even if it seemed a risk-free expression of that distaste — would be enough to end the shelling of Gaza’s captive population and curb Russia’s ever more strident intervention in Ukraine. How wrong and dangerous that wishful thinking has proved.

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday moved the process from the realms of a parlour game to the world of realpolitik when he announced that Russia would veto the importation of some — just some — EU food. He, as he was bound to, put a price on the West’s support for Ukraine’s efforts to align more closely with European countries.