The politicians of Europe are, like most Western politicians, eager to make empty gestures that give them nice headlines but very reluctant to do anything that has real-world utility. Europe is still failing to provide Ukraine with essential military aid, NATO is still abjectly failing to ensure that Russian atrocities cease, and the USA is likely to reduce aid to Ukraine once the neo-fascist Republican Party takes the House once the present lame-duck session draws to an end.

Putin believes he simply has to out-wait the West until our resolve fails and our citizens demand the right to return to their lives of self-indulgence fueled by Russian hydrocarbons. And Putin may well be right.