The practical point of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, beyond a broad national security remit, is the issue of sanctions. According to whistleblowers inside the Kremlin’s political circles, this is the sticking point for its leadership.
It’s their belief that Russia is broadly sanctioned as part of an abusive “regime” of punitive economic policy made possible by support coordinated through Ukraine.
As Western leaders have played into the hands of Russia, it has no doubt studied the issuance of sanctions against the reality. This is, after all, how Russia usually conducts its investigative research.
However, any attempt to reduce or stop the effect of timely and targeted financial charges on individuals and business interests – which correlates with signals given before the invasion that it was a point of contention – would need a follow through effort in legal realms too.
If Putin achieves this, an historic bugbear of the European power will have been dealt with. Such a development could solidify his record as President but also lead to a stronger geopolitical position for the combative nation.