The United States has recently decided to sell a billion dollars’ worth of arms to Ukraine, including long-range missiles. It seems that the world is once again playing a familiar tune—one that involves never-ending conflicts and geopolitical chess games. Moscow has huffed and puffed yet again with another massive aerial assault that killed 20 people and even managed to damage an EU building. What a way to make friends and influence European neighbors. As if this weren’t enough drama, leaders from both sides appear uninterested in bringing this saga to a peaceful conclusion.
President Zelenskyy of Ukraine is not amused and is calling for even stronger sanctions. Yet it seems that despite Europe’s (sometimes sluggish) efforts, Putin behaves like the cat who caught the canary. For over three years, sanctions have been ineffective, as Russia finds creative ways to wiggle out of them. Legal loopholes, including exceptions based on European countries’ over-reliance on Russian oil, have been exploited. Even the Biden Administration’s hesitance to let American petroleum flood the market hasn’t been helping anyone except, perhaps, Russia.
In an unfolding global soap opera, India, acting as the second largest purchaser of Russian oil since February 2022, proves to be an unexpected ally for Moscow. Meanwhile, China, not one to sit idly, has been buying Russian oil and supplying industrial components to bolster Russia’s economy and wartime exploits. It’s almost as if Putin is a smart shopper in a global flea market, finding bargains on everything he needs to maintain his war machine. The war economy has adapted, and people at home may wonder if it will take an army of international accountants to finally close off all economic lifelines that keep Putin’s tank running.
On the European front, while there are murmurs of renewed sanctions on Iran from France, Germany, and the UK over their nuclear program, one has to wonder if this will actually shake the region. While sanctions might slow down Iran’s abilities to sow chaos, it will probably take more than economic wrist-slapping to bring long-lasting change. Past American military interventions have shown some success in persuading Iran to reconsider its nuclear dreams. A clearer, firmer approach involving both economic and military strategies might yield better results, as history subtly suggests.
As the saga continues, with each side locked in a dangerous dance on the world stage, the debate will undoubtedly persist on the best way to tackle these issues efficiently. The American people, watching from their living rooms, scratch their heads, wondering when this rather costly world drama will see its final act. Until then, they’re left with a steady dose of strategic suggestions and armchair diplomacy aired through their televisions, hoping for a resolution that brings both safety and sanity back to the forefront.
