We must face the fact that the Cold War is back on.
We have Putin recklessly pursuing revanchist expansion dreams for Mother Russia, the invasion on his Ukraine neighbor a violent homage to USSR days that imprinted his mind set and behavior. The US finds itself anchoring a coalition of free nations resisting authoritarian aggression. Anything is thinkable except direct conflict between the US and Russia.
So, Russians abroad need to make some choices. If you are not with Putin and funding his outrages, then you must break with him--"defect", it used to be called. And, not just renounce the Putinist Russian regime, but actively contribute to its ultimate defeat. Assets belonging to Putinist Russian entities or sanctioned individuals should be seized, not just frozen. Proceeds will go toward eventual claims against Russia on behalf of its victims. Assets to seize include oil and gas shipments; the owners of those assets can apply to get redress, if they prove their cause. That would be after they were utilized during the present crisis, though.
I would broaden the scope of sanctions, not just to Putin and his family, but to every member of the Duma that voted for invasion, violating international law. The purpose is, indeed, punitive: Any deterrent days of those sanctions are ended, not coming back.
The Strange Case of Mr. Abramovitch
As a young man, Roman Abramovitch was one of the future-oligarch cronies of Putin during the future despot's years of rise to untrammeled domestic power. He made a pile of dough, then emigrated--or has tried to, over a long period of time. A little research turns up that Abramovitch, who has Jewish roots, was able to obtain an Israeli passport in 2018, and then, late last year, a Portuguese one, legally issued under a law in that country permitting it.
A passport of any EU country permits residence in any other one. This is where it gets complicated: Roman would like to reside in the U.K., in London to be specific, with his pride and joy, the Chelsea Football Club, currently Champions Cup holders and third in the English Premier League of soccer. Brexit being what it is, neither passport gives him full-time residence in the U.K., though they each give him some relative privilege in getting visas to be there. Privilege that can be cancelled. Beyond just that, I think if the authorities in Portugal and Israel took a very close look, they would find some error or possible area needing further review in each one (I don't know if Roman still has the Israeli one), with the passport's active status revoked in the meantime. Like the undertaker in the Godfather saga, in an organization any member may find it is their time to make a special contribution to the whole. It is the time for Portugal to do its bit for NATO. Israel is playing it cool, a low profile in the confrontation, so far--it, more than most nations, "understands"+ the need occasionally to step over recognized borderlines in the interest of perceived national security. ^
I saw an essay from someone suggesting blowing up one of Abramovitch's possessions, a multi-centi-million dollar yacht. I too question the need for that yacht continuing to exist in any form, but I would let him stay on it as a stateless person. Unless he makes a considerable sacrifice: it could be to take on the Free Ukrainian citizenship that will soon be available for refugees from the conflict and give generously to their cause (I'm thinking a billion pounds or so), or it could be to yield to Boris Johnson's apparent desire to get at that luscious sportive asset, merely takes a vote of Parliament, who I expect will be most willing. Once the British get possession of the team (again, Roman could apply for redress, which would get the most modern, expedited post-Covid non-attention), they can operate it for the benefit of Ukrainian relief funds. Ultimate ownership can be determined later, though it should recognize the permanent stakeholder status of the West London borough residents. I assume Roman won't agree to just go back to Mother Russia and leave all the fruits of his ill-gotten gains behind.
Why am I turning on Roman, who has certainly brought unprecedented success to my club through his period of some two decades of owning it? Well, thank you, Roman, but I owe you no more loyalty than you did, say, for Romeo Lukaku, or Mohammed Salah? (The first Abramovitch loaned out, lost, then bought back for too much; the second is the superstar that got away and eventually found his way back to one of Chelsea's archrivals). Or for the 1001 coaches you've had hired and fired.* To be fair, Abramovitch's money has brought great talent, and those players, and their myriad talented coaches, have added to the club's brand. To be Cold War-style ruthless, we can do without Roman now.
Just an example. There are eight million stories in the Naked Refugee World.
Closing Notes
--I should say something to the Russian public**: we can stop this from becoming Cold War II.
The first one ended so badly for you. It's not unlike what the US will have to do to eliminate the influence of the (still!) Putin-brown-nosing traitor Dickhead45 from our society. It must start, in Russia, at the local level--remove the cadres who hold up your Fearless Leader. Renounce toxic nationalism based on ethnicity!***
--I know why Putin wanted control of Chernobyl; it's to hide the past from the world's further scrutiny and the humiliation of the USSR's epic fail there.
--"paranoid, myth-making, grievance-oriented" - if you are looking for words to describe Putin that can be shared at the cocktail table, this was CNN International Anchor Christiane Amanpour's carefully-articulated description of today's Vladimir. Thank you Ms. Amanpour.
_________________________
+The term the Chinese Foreign Minister gave as his reaction to the Russian argument for invasion.
^The US, of course, should not be viewed as above these other nations in their history of observing them, either
* I exaggerate slightly.
**Who are near the top in Google's listing of the source of hits on this blog (even if only for spam purposes, in many cases).
***Look up the animated series, "Rocky and Bullwinkle".
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