Op-ed: Crippling sanctions aren’t enough — Here’s what needs to be done to stop Putin

A placard showing a picture of Russian president Vladimir Putin with a red hand print during a rally in support of Ukraine in Santa Monica, California, on February 27, 2022.

It isn't enough.

The delivery of defensive weapon to the military of Ukraine is crucial to the country's resilience and resistance.

The unprecedented economic and financial sanctions on Russia have been insufficient to deter President Putin from escalating his war on Ukraine.

They aren't enough.

The 141-5 resolution of the United Nations General Assembly that demands Putin end his war and withdraw his forces hasn't deterred him. The four countries that voted with Putin made him a pariah.

That isn't enough.

Many countries in the world are not paying attention. A full 35 countries at the United Nations abstained from condemning Russia, hoping that Putin's ugly behavior would go away.

The efforts of the United States and some of our international partners to shame Chinese President Xi Jinping into pulling his support from Putin's war machine also have failed, though no country's actions at this moment could do more to save lives and end the war.

Putin got the Chinese green light for his invasion of China in a 5,300-word statement as the Beijing Winter Olympics opened, saying their relationship had no limits. It seems like Xi doesn't want to distance himself from Putin in a meaningful way.

The civilized world has responded to Putin's invasion with unity. The intelligence on Putin's plans was released early by the Biden administration, which focused the narrative and blamed where it belonged.

Europe's actions against Putin are particularly impressive because of its close proximity to Moscow and dependence on Russian energy. Germany did more over the weekend to counter Russian revanchism than in the previous two decades, increasing its defense spending to 2% of GDP, and reversing a ban on selling weapons to Ukraine.

The only responsible choice is to do more and to do it quickly: more sanctions, more military support, and more international unity.

There are two reasons why.

Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II has been caused by Putin's air attacks on Ukrainian civilians.

The historic imperative is the need to reverse a global trajectory that could allow brutal authoritarianism or bloody chaos to shape the global future.

Robert M. Gates wrote in the Washington Post that the 30-year holiday from history has ended because of the invasion of Ukraine.

It is clear that Putin's war on Ukraine is not a dangerous episode but a challenge.

What should be done with that in mind?

A survey of 37 leading national security experts provided some actionable military ideas from the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. The positive benefits were weighed against the risk of escalation.

The best of the lot.

• Sending more of the armed drones that Ukrainians are already using so successfully.
• Providing “off-the-shelf” electronic-warfare capability, including satellite navigation and communications-jamming equipment, that would enhance Ukraine’s ability to disrupt and slow Putin’s advance.
• Enhancing Ukraine’s critical short-range air defense capabilities through providing more ground-based, close-in weapons systems to better defend against Russian aircraft and missile attacks.

I favor a partial no-fly zone over the most Western provinces of Ukraine, close to the Polish, Slovakian, Hungarian and Romanian borders. One can understand why the U.S. and NATO reject a no-fly zone over the whole of Ukraine, but in Western Ukraine it is a humanitarian imperative, it is militarily easier as it is closer to western air bases and it would demonstrate our resolve to Putin.

The U.S., Europe, and their global partners should add to the sanctions against Russia.

Their impact thus far has been to flatten the Russian financial system, crash the ruble, and probably move the Russian economy into a depression.

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• An expansion on the sanctions on Putin’s cronies and subordinates.
• Extending sanctions on more banks and key companies (they suggest Gazprombank, Russian Agricultural Bank, AlfaBank, Sovcomfort, Russia Railways, and the diamond company Alrosa)
• Blocking the Russian government through sanctioning all Russia-state-owned companies.
• If all else fails, enacting a full financial embargo that would ban all transactions, exports, and imports with Russia. 

If not more is done to stop Putin, he will continue to escalate.

CIA Director William Burns told the House Intelligence Committee last week that Putin is angry and frustrated.

Putin has lost, he will never be able to occupy Ukraine, and he has done a lot of damage to Russia. The key to shaping the global future is saving Ukraine.

What has been accomplished against Putin is remarkable, but it is not enough.

Frederick Kempe is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Atlantic Council.