Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is an unprovoked outrage and a heinous violation of international law. It is proof of his utter disregard for the health and wealth of the people of Russia and Ukraine. He is a tyrant prepared to take lives, destroy infrastructure and rob his own citizens in the name of a demented imperialist dream.
The economic sanctions that the UK, its allies and partners enforce must be as severe as possible. The aim should be to cut Russia out of the western economic system, targeting the finance, energy, technology and defence sectors as well as individuals linked to Putin and the Russian government. The effects should be deep and long-lasting. This confrontation will last for years into the future. And here at home, after years of stubborn inaction, the government must now finally expunge corrupt Russian money from the UK. We must close the cracks and loopholes through which the tentacles of corrupt finance reach into our economy and democracy.
While sanctions are essential, we know that Putin’s concerns go far beyond the depth of his pockets, as shown by his willingness to act despite western threats of economic pain. Russia has been preparing for sanctions for at least two years. So, to defeat Russian aggression, we need to do more than attack Putin’s bank balance. While sanctions must be as comprehensive as possible, we need a broader response to face down his aggression.
To defeat Putin, we need to unite against the ideology of Putinism. This is an ideology of authoritarianism, imperialism and ethno-nationalism. It is not unique to Russia. This ideology is emulated by despots and dictators around the world: leaders in China, the Middle East and beyond will be watching the strength of the west’s response to this invasion as they plot their next moves.
Russia’s attack will have long-term implications for the security of Europe. If Putin is successful in the short term, the new frontline to Russian aggression will widen to include Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary, as well as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. We must work with our Nato and European allies and partners to bolster our continent’s defence and security and show strength, unity and resolve.
But the opposition to Putinism needs to be broader than the G7, the EU or Nato. We need to rally the world against this threat and widen the international coalition that will oppose this grievous act of war, and counter Putin’s ideology of nationalistic expansion. We need to ensure that other global players such as India oppose the terrible precedent set by Putin’s invasion of a sovereign UN member state and his attempt to change national borders through military force.
We must be clear that our opposition is to Putin and his gangster regime, not ordinary Russian people. Many of them will be feeling deeply uneasy as Russian troops wade across their nearest neighbour’s border, the home of many of their family and friends. Internal opposition to Putin’s deranged expansionism is the best hope of ending it. It’s imperative that we speak directly to them, making the argument for democracy, freedom and the right to self-determination, and never allowing our opposition to Putin to obscure our desire for friendship and peace with Russian people.
It’s essential that we convince aspiring despots around the world that the Russian regime’s slide into imperialism is a historic mistake. Any victory will be pyrrhic in the long term, just as the invasion of Hungary in 1956, Czechoslovakia in 1968 and Afghanistan in 1979 all turned out to be failures in the end. The result of invasion is always brutal destruction, with civilians caught in the middle paying a terrible price. It is a moral imperative that we continue to help Ukraine to defend itself by providing defensive equipment alongside political, diplomatic and financial support.
The Russian regime’s invasion of Ukraine signals the end of the post-cold war era. Nobody knows what comes next. The effects of this moment will depend as much on our response to this aggression as it will on the aggression itself. The response of the UK, its allies and its partners has to be strong not weak, united not divided, and strategic rather than short term. Our values of democracy and freedom must defeat Putinism in the end.
David Lammy is the Labour MP for Tottenham and shadow foreign secretary
Guardian Newsroom: the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Join a panel of journalists, hosted by Michael Safi, for a livestreamed event on the Russia-Ukraine crisis. On Thursday 3 March, 8pm GMT | 9pm CET | 12pm PST | 3pm EST. Book tickets here.
