European leaders respond to Russian invasion with new sanctions

Many world leaders are condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and G7 countries have announced new sanctions. CBS News foreign correspondent Ian Lee joins "Red & Blue" with the latest reaction.

[donnyc]

Obviously mr. P has prepared his country for sanctions. Otherwise why would he proceed with moving into Ukraine. I wonder what Europe is going to do when they realize sanctions are not going to affect Mr. P actions.

[AiGuru]

I survived one war like a child now when I'm watching this gets my feelings really bad. I remember watching my father getting killed like kid and all that for nothing. I'm from Srebrenica where Serbian people did biggest massacre. I'm feeling Ukrainian people and I know exactly how they feel now. I hope any future generations never go through this stuff. 🙏 Stay strong and calm Ukrainians. Whole world was watching Srebrenica massacre for ove a 5 years.

[_Sisyphus]

NATO LOVES TO GIVE SPEECHES. NOT BIG ON ACTION. THIS WILL COST EUROPE FOR DECADES

[dannysaravio]

We need to come together and help Ukraine now is the time.

[jimshorts]

Enough with these “sanctions “ … f’ing fight them 🤦🏻‍♂️

[emiliospowerballer]

Eurooean leaders be like:
'We condemn Russia for its military actioms in Ukraine. We advise Russian troops to leave Ukraine for good'
Russia be like:
'Yes we should be condemned. Anyway, Finland looks nice'

[chuchinshei]

In 2003 U.S. UK and allies troops "invasion" Iraq, the western countries media reported as "U.S. troops enter Iraq, head toward Baghdad", but for this special military operation of Russia in Ukraine they reported as "invasion", this is a 'Discriminated Double Standard' of western countries, wasn't it?

[townsendjean]

Relative to the economies of the US and NATO, Russia's economy is puny and is faltering! It's a monopolistic money-making bonanza for Putin and his oligarch cronies. Really tough sanctions could conceivably wipe them out if imposed fully and immediately.

[Teffi_Club]

Europe, please look elsewhere for oil and gas.

[MatthewC]

Not enough. Kick them off of SWIFT and deactivate all Visa and Mastercards in the country. Let the average citizen really feel the hurt. They’ll turn on Putin then.

[shsreddevils]

NATO is severely underestimating the pending results of Russia actions. Putin has assessed the condition of the world economy, the strength of the US it's social stability and economic strength. He has allies he can turn to for needed support. His actions are very precise and calculated knowing how NATO will react and what each country's response will be. The US is not only fighting against Putin but also not sure if our 'allies' are going to be fully and totally supportive when things worsen, and things will worsen. We are now fighting a war against crime, a war against drugs, a war at our southern border, a war against inflation, a war in our government (left against right), a war trying to save the reserve currency, and the threat of a potential war defending Taiwan against China's aggression. Putin's timing couldn't be any better. The question is, who's going to stand behind us for support? It's a world in chaos.

[richietavarez]

Let’s be honest, the sanction mean nothing to Putin. But NATO has to impose sanctions so it can show the world that at least they’re doing something

[valerym]

From all countries only Estonia and Latvia recently sent weapons to Ukraine. (Ukrainians, remember this)
Other countries are only trash talking.

[thembinkosimoyo]

The Invasion of Ukraine was Inevitable:
Understanding Russian Concerns and the Folly of Western Diplomacy

Sovereignty is not absolute. In October 1962, when the USSR placed nuclear-armed missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the United States, the Americans recoiled with anger leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Cuba was a sovereign country with the right to have whatever weapons they wanted on their territory.

Why was this sovereignty not respected?

There was a threat to US national security, and hence that part of Cuban sovereignty was not respected.

This is common sense.

In the end, Nikita Khrushchev backed down, and the Russian missiles were removed from Cuba.

If today France was to exercise its sovereign right, pull out of the EU and NATO, and join a military alliance with Russia or China, will the USA and NATO fold their arms and respect France's sovereignty? Will Western Europe accept a member of a hostile military alliance right at the centre of Europe?

Why not?

What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

It does not make geo-political-strategic and military sense, nor foster global peace and security to have Ukraine as a member of NATO. Such a scenario presents a patently obvious threat to Russian national security.

In fact, by invading Ukraine now, Putin is being preemptive. When Ukraine becomes a member of NATO, Russia will be totally encircled and thus vulnerable. More importantly, any attack on Ukraine then will invoke a swift NATO military response by operation of the NATO agreement. Hence Putin’s demand that Ukraine must never be a member of NATO is reasonable. Both NATO and the people of Ukraine must have accepted this position.

This analysis should be clear to all peace-loving people.

So, what should be done? What could have been done?

While asserting their sovereignty and remaining an independent nation, the people of Ukraine and their leaders must commit to NOT joining NATO. Realpolitik demands this. They will not be the first to follow this pragmatic posture.

Finland is an example of what Ukraine should do. Finland is fiercely unapologetic about its independence and works closely with Western countries. However, it is not a member of NATO and strategically avoids any confrontation or disagreeable conduct with the Russians.

The distinguished and revered former US Secretary of State, Dr. Henry Kissinger, eloquently supports this view: ‘Ukraine should have the right to choose freely its economic and political associations, including with Europe. [However] Ukraine should not join NATO … Ukraine should be free to create any government compatible with the expressed will of its people.’

It is also essential to note that Ukraine can never be just another foreign independent country to Russia, given the historical relationship between the two nations. It has been part of Russia for centuries, and their histories are inextricably linked with large pockets of Russian speaking folks in Ukraine in the year 2022.

This objective reality must inform Western intellectuals, pundits and leaders.

Now, what of Western diplomacy with respect to the crisis unfolding in Ukraine?

The stance of NATO and Western leaders has been that: ‘If Russia invades Ukraine, there will be no military response from us. We will impose ‘crippling’ sanctions against Russia.’ What a miserably pathetic position! In fact, it is encouragement or an invitation for an invasion!

For a start, what is the basis of the assumption that the sanctions will be crippling? The Russian economy is relatively robust and largely independent of the West, with the foundation of that independence in the Cold War, after which Russia inherited a vast military-industrial complex that is still ostensibly intact.

The so-called sanctions are to be imposed by only the United States and a few of its Western allies. Really?

There has been no effort to lobby for the involvement of the rest of the world, such as China (the world's second-biggest economy), the rest of Asia, the rest of Europe, Latina America and Africa. How can a country – Russia – still able to trade with all these economies (in fact 80% of the world) be crippled by sanctions from a paltry number of Western countries?

This is so presumptuous and pretentious on the part of the United and its allies.

It would be comical if it were not a war situation.

Surely, these measly NATO threats have not been thought through. How does one stop a leader, and his country, bent on invading a country by threatening to impose ineffectual sanctions? Are those measures not a small price to pay for the big prize?

This failure of diplomacy is not helped by global media outlets which do not question these foolish foreign policy pronouncements but act as echo chambers of the unintelligent posturing by Western leaders. In their analysis of the unfolding crisis, the key media outlets do not engage experts or scholars with different viewpoints.

They just churn out the same unsophisticated narrative where one cannot distinguish the anchor/journalist from the subject expert.

There is total irrational jingoism in the main media outlets.

The journalists are emotionally attached to the positions of their national governments.

Shameful, indeed.

We need informed and innovative diplomacy enabled by vibrant, ethical, critical and professional journalism and scholarship.

Yes, the crisis in Ukraine could have been avoided if a different understanding of global affairs was at play and world leaders had a better understanding of history and geo-strategic considerations.

Journalists and scholars have a duty and an obligation to enrich the discourse around global challenges and not become cheerleaders of absurdities.

We do not want war. We should do all we can to avoid war.

Unfortunately, given the failure by Western leaders to understand and resolve Russia’s concerns and the pitiful folly of their empty and ineffectual threats, the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 was inevitable.

We must create a new body of knowledge that will determine the future of diplomacy – foreign policy positions that prevent or effectively manage conflict and not enable wars

[rephillips]

The US and Canada can sell energy to Europe

[hosookit]

🙏:
Let there be peace on earth.
Pray 🙏🙏🙏

[youtuficacion]

630 billion dollars for a country the size of Russia its a month supply, not counting war expenses. Common

[kel]

the united state and British sanctions will back fire 🔥

[hectormorenosanchez]

The sanctions dont affect russia at all putin has a rainy fund for this kind of events who it really affects is us the usa and other countries.

[sajadarif]

When Muslims in Palestine and Syria and Afghanistan and Iraq were dying and getting bombed and nobody cared. I don't have respect for you guys anymore, when you learn to respect others and standby right and not wrong. It not nice when it at your door step is it?