Ukraine Russia War: Sanctions Driven by Which Norms?
Many are saying that sanctions on Russia isn’t only going to affect Russia only but there would be a cold chill that would spread across globally where everyone would catch the cold ie 2008 financial crisis–style economic shock. Fair enough. It is understandable why inhumane commoners-suffering sanctions are slapped on Russia so to display a pretence of deterrence, sanctions which the ruling elites oligarchs wouldn’t be affected as much as the general Russian public and of course the mass public across the world from the economy fallout, given Russia is one of the larger economies upon whose energy many (sadly) have to depend; yet no sanctions are slapped on racist/apartheid state Israel, a country that is consistently involved in illegal brutal occupation and annexation of Palestinian lands with her periodic Russian-style indiscriminate bombing on Gaza’s civilian infrastructure incl schools and hospitals killing hundreds of children within very short space of time, despite the fact that Israel’s economy isn’t among the larger economies where sanctions are likely to affect the wider world. Hypocrisy and double standards of the west is much worse than outright despotic character of Putin’s Russia. It was never been about humanitarian libertarian values because if that was the case, Israel would’ve been slapped with sanctions for its longest brutal inhumane illegal occupation resulting in apartheid, Saudi Arabia would’ve been slapped with sanctions for its bombing over Yemen (though it is yet to illegally occupy Yemen fully), UAE for its role in brutal suppression of opposition figures and its despotic kleptocracy; India would’ve been slapped with sanctions for its one of the most war crimes-committing occupation and annexation of Kashmir in 2019 through revoking Article 370 governing occupation etc. It’s all about geopolitics. As simple as that. At least Putin’s Russia and China don’t pretend otherwise. Of course, Russia needs to be punished and deterred like no other (while addressing her NATO expansion led insecurities) because if Russia isn’t deterred, heaven knows where her offensive will continue to spread but the west can only be affective and command solidarity with the Global South if it’s is more “consistent” and get rid of its neo-colonial double standards led hypocrisy — masquerading as protector for so-called freedom and democracy (read, Assange wouldn’t have been incarcerated for exposing crimes of Anglo-American war crimes through wiki leaks; condoning regime change in Egypt by removing first democratically elected Morsi regime and replacing with pro west military dictator Sisi regime etc). Perhaps US-UK could start offering full apology for its war crimes and illegal invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan and regime change in Libya; and offer $1 trillion as reparation to affected countries; and slap Russia-style sanctions on Israel for one of longest illegal occupation and annexation of Palestinians’ land and its war crimes from its Russian-style indiscriminate bombings on Gaza, Jenin refugee camps etc; apply sanction on Saudi Arabia for indiscriminate bombing on Yemen and India for her illegal unilateral annexation of Jammu & Kashmir state in violation of Kashmiris’ right to self determination as enshrined in UN resolutions. That would be a good start. Otherwise, it’s all about geopolitics and might is right.
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