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[Tampa Bay Times - Robert Adolf] There has been an enormous sea change within the European Union, the United States and around the globe sparked by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unwarranted and illegal invasion of Ukraine. There is a massive wave of support for the resistance. Suddenly, it is in vogue to speak of freedom, sovereignty and what the West stands for. Putin’s unprovoked assault is rightly taken as an attack on democracy.Although perhaps more symbolic than actual, diplomats in Strasbourg are considering accelerating the timetable for Kyiv’s accession into the E.U., something that was unthinkable only a short time ago. European and American politicians are sounding more combative, more supportive of those under siege and more engaged with their fellow democracies with every passing day. Even famously independent Finland and Sweden are now seriously considering NATO membership.
Vladimir Putin has unintentionally re-injected long-dead clarity into the conduct of international affairs on the continent. It is clear who the aggressor is, and who is in the right. All Europe agrees for the first time in decades. We have not seen this kind unanimity since the Cold War.
A pugnacious Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the U.S. Congress and European Parliament via video-link from the front lines. His speeches meet with thunderous applause, not necessarily because of his eloquence, but because of his courage in refusing to depart his embattled nation — to share the danger and fight with his army. That’s leadership.
The economic implications are startling and mounting. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline project is — literally — dead in the water. The European democracies may soon wean themselves off their dependence on Russian gas and oil. Major Western petroleum companies have extracted themselves from their commitments to former Russian partners, as have multiple other major business interests.
Sanctions and the confiscation of luxury yachts and mansions are hammering the fortunes of Russian oligarchs. The common people of Russia suffer too, and worse. The ruble’s devaluation is tanking the savings and buying power of the populace. Crippling economic and financial sanctions are pushing Russia into recession. Putin miscalculated.