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With the west and the G7 nations unlikely to pursue military options in retaliation to Russian aggression to deploy troops in Crimea region of Ukraine, threats of economic sanctions is being talked up.
President Obama said that the US will take a series of steps, both economic and diplomatic, to isolate Russia. They have suspended trade and investment talks already.
The UK has equally talked up the potential for sanctions, with the potential for an agreement on the details of those sanctions could be reached at the end of the week in an emergency EU summit.
Yet still there remains a degree of ambiguity as to the form in which what those sanctions could take. The UK government wittingly leaked their initial thoughts on sanctions yesterday when a minister quite blatantly left documents on the cabinets view on sanctions in full view for the worlds media to photograph and analyse.
That document identified a preference for restricting travel and visa, as opposed to tougher economic sanctions. In essence, it showed a lack of appetite amidst the UK government for tough bargaining with Russia.
Yet the true cost of sanctions, if Russia is hit hard, could hurt the UK much more than people think.
Comment: As the British establishment is joined at the hip with the American, we can deduce that the US won't do anything either.
It's all hot air and PR stunts, with both foreign secretaries visiting Kiev in two days, while their lackeys in the press push all the right propaganda buttons.
They can't slap sanctions on Russia because the financial elite in London would overrule them. They can't confront Russia's army because it's too risky to wage war with a real army.
They're pathetic creatures, which is why they instead use their armies to target defenseless peoples and hope that repeating lies often and loudly enough will convince the others to submit to their will.
See also:
Sophomoric peer pressure: Lawmakers call for G8 suspension of Russia
Russia mocks Britain: 'That small island no one listens to'!