By Andrew Latham
Since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, Western governments have imposed unprecedented economic sanctions on Moscow, expelling Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system, banning a wide range of exports to Russia, stripping the country of its most-favoured-nation status, and ending imports of Russian oil and gas, to name but a few.
Simultaneously, hundreds of companies, from Apple to Zoom, have either suspended or terminated operations in Russia or ceased trading with the country. And more than 30 sports federations have blocked Russian athletes from participating in international competitions. Vladimir Putin himself has even been suspended as honorary president of the International Judo Federation.
To many, the breathtaking scale and scope of the reaction to Russia’s invasion is viewed as a perfectly rational response to a glaringly obvious threat to international peace and security. Russia invaded Ukraine in violation of one of the most fundamental norms in international society and such an egregious violation of that norm deserves a firm, full-spectrum punitive response.
This piece was originally published in The Critic on March 21, 2022. Read more HERE.