Russia’s President Putin has committed a crime. His own country charged Nazi criminals with waging an aggressive war and the same charge now sits as Criminal Code Article 353 — Planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression. The maximum penalty is 20 years in prison.
That may not be what worries him. The delays in the north will probably be higher on his list of concerns. Or perhaps the courage of the protesters in St Petersburg and Moscow that worries him. Whatever the outcome this will not go as planned. Wars never do.
The invasion is the easy bit. With that first step into enemy territory, it all feels possible. After weeks of drawn-out conflict, as the losses mount, the pain of war becomes clear.
That’s when morale matters. Not good humour, but the firm commitment to see it through and the support of a population that understands the costs and why they matter. Will Russians feel the same need to invade a peaceful neighbour? Are they threatened by democracy and liberty? Reports suggest they feel betrayed by this war.
As sanctions bite, it’s likely to get worse. Travel is harder, goods are scarcer and costs will rise. None of that builds popular support. And we can make it worse. If we work together, the free world can shape a new future of stronger co-ordination and co-operation that sees tyrants pay a price.
We can close off their markets, expel their ambassadors and downgrade their positions on groups like Interpol and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
While Putin’s plan to decapitate Ukraine is sowing hardship in Kyiv and across a free country, we should do nothing to make life easier for the war criminals who serve him in the Kremlin. The last turn we must make is at home. Here, in London, too much of his cronies’ cash is inflating house prices and paying for services. We can end that, and protect our people too.
When we stand with Ukraine, and oppose the war, we are standing with Russian people against the tyrant who nationalised theft. More than that, we’re defending ourselves from the corruption Putin’s regime is spreading in the world.
Tom Tugendhat is a Conservative MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee
