This article hasn't aged well. Not only have Western sanctions been utterly ineffectual (as sanctions always are, everywhere, at all times) but economic data shows Russia is emerging from its mini-recession and has a stronger economy than the foolish EU nations that made themselves hostage to Russian hydrocarbon supplies. Moreover, thanks to EU nations crumbling rapidly and paying in rubles for what little oil & gas they receive, as per Tzar Putin's demands, the ruble is now stronger than it was before Russia invaded Ukraine.

In short, Russia's economy is not collapsing (though the UK economy is, thanks to populist mismanagement) and every indication is that Russia will easily finance its ongoing slaughter of Ukrainian civilians while, as always, the fat complacent self-indulgent West whines about the "privations" we are suffering.

It continues to astonish me that so many ordinary people take newspaper headlines at face value, especially when it comes to sanctions. We know from history that sanctions are only a means by which Western governments pretend to be acting while in reality doing nothing meaningful at all. We should not be surprised that sanctions have had less than zero effect on Russia's ability to slaughter Ukrainians, nor that sanctions have left the Russian economy essentially untouched. We should be surprised at our continued denial of the obvious, and our persistent unwillingness to do anything of value to stop the slaughter. Perhaps if we weren't so fat and stupid, we could save tens of thousands of Ukrainian lives. Sadly, there's zero possibility of us ever being less fat and stupid...