Yes, and the toothless tiger sanctions will do little to curb Putin and his lies. What will stop him is if we stop funding his military adventures with the artificially high price we pay for oil and gas. The taps must be again fully opened and the price of energy allowed to come down. Even as a tiny cabal of paper shuffling energy barons who buy and sell oil on the spot market start to lose money?

They are part of the problem with western economies, where commodities pass through the hands of price goughing and entirely unnecssary wholesalers. who impose themselves on all kinds of transactions that just do not need their involvement, e.g., water barons and energy barons. Not known before the fifties.

Days before finance brokers and where one dealt directly with the bank manager and not the current plethora of profit demanding, paper shuffling middlemen, who have made the cost of living and doing business, double what it needs to be, via their involvement!

When we stop financing Mr Putin's military adventures and get him to pull his horns in, with the artificially high price we pay for oil and or gas! Then Mr Putin will no longer be able to pay his troops nor keep his economy with its head above water.

The energy barons (enemies in our midst) need to be ignored and we need to crack on with the production of biogas and oil source from algae that is up to 60% oil.

And crack on converting our economy to a nuclear powered one! the only thing that prevents any of this is, perpetually prevaricating and pompous posturing, timidity personified, bought and paid for, politicians. And if the cap fits?

If you gutless, spineless windbags won't do something real, then stand aside and allow those with a bit of Cossack warrior ticker to do it for you! I for one, won't hold my breath.
Alan B.

Mad bad Vlad always was evil, remains evil and while ever he is alive, will be evil.
What to do about him though is another thing indeed.

Doesn't anyone look at the long-term outcome of this ?

Consider carefully "other side" of the story here. From background information on author, not surprising is strong supporter of the current Ukrainian government. It was installed in 2014 by US sponsored coup which replaced a mediocre democratically elected administration with worse one that has since been a puppet of Washington. Was most strongly opposed by largely ethnic Russians in Crimea, who overwhelmingly supported rejoining Russia. Then in Donbass area of Eastern Ukraine, people opposed new government in Kiev to the extent they declared independent republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. For the last eight years have suffered regular attacks by government trying to retake their areas by force. Things appeared getting worse recently with Kiev soliciting arms supplies from NATO countries for an apparent strong proposed invasion attempt. Presidents of these republics ASKED Russia for help to stop it. The Russian parliament authorised Vladimir Putin to take appropriate action. The Russian military were INVITED there and arrival has obviously been appreciated. Purpose of so called "INVASION" of other areas of Ukraine is primarily to hopefully permanently end aggression from it. Note quote attributed to Vladimir Putin to effect they want get rid of "junkies and neo nazis" from the Ukraine government. Seems Unlikely Russia would want to take long term control. Have enough of a challenge keeping the Russian Federation together with all its different ethnic groups. Remember a small scale apparent precedent for present Russian military action. Areas of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in the former Soviet Union state of Georgia wanted independence. Georgian government sent troops to try and retake control. Then Russian military went in and helped locals kick Georgians out. Now look at the headline for this forum article: ie "Myths and Lies". Those who have kept an eye on news from so called "alternative" sources including Russian ones realise this is basically what the western mainstream media has been peddling about it on behalf of the US "Deep state" especially. Need to do search on Donetsk News and informed commentators from within US, Paul Craig Roberts and Ron Paul especially for alternative views.

I feel truly sorry for the people of Ukraine for having been conned so treacherously !

Meanwhile US and Oz media are desperate to link Putin - Ukraine project to Xi - China then blame/claim that Biden - Dems (EU, etc) are 'weak' to assist the Trumper GOP in the mid terms; while our PM dog whistles both China and his opposing counterpart with the 'Manchurian candidate' slur.

For good reason, corruption through Russian monies and influence amongst the GOP and UK Tories is ignored, as is the elephant in the room, clear links between Russia with GOP/Tories' 'architecture' but worse, it's the fossil fuel and related, represented by Koch Network think tanks supported by donations of fossil fuels and related.

By coincidence they have shared interest with Russia i.e. white Christian nationalism, climate science denial, autocracy, corruption, aversion to open society and liberal democracy; meanwhile BP has announced their divesting from Russia.

The elephant in the room, are the US fossil fuel and related investors in Russia (and Ukraine) who could come under the #KochNetwork (significant tag on Twitter, explains much) banner but are ignored in media preferring to attack EU, NATO, Biden et al?