Putin´s isolation

For many, the world, their world, is a dangerous place to live. Just take the example of the farmers in three villages in the Kaduna state, Nigeria, that have been massacred by nomad pastoralists a couple of days ago. Or the people in Syria, who have been in the midst of dreadful civil war for the last three years. Or those in Afghanistan who have only known war for such a long time.

And one could mention many other places.

In view of this, the politics of confrontation that guide Vladimir Putin´s actions in his part of the world are a matter of great concern. They could take us towards open conflict. Therefore, they require a very firm response from the West. Change through rapprochement, the approach we have followed during the last twenty years, is not understood by Putin. He reads in it weakness. That´s very unfortunate. It is therefore time to change our approach. And use isolation and strong diplomacy as the new tools. It is in our interest and certainly in the interest of peace in Europe.

We should not forget that Putin´s hold on power is grounded on the revenue coming from the export of his country´s natural resources. Less trade and less investment will in the end contribute to let him understand we are now in a more interdependent world, where cooperation is more important than confrontation. We only have to find the right way to make such a message crystal clear.