Some commentators on the criminal downing of Flight MH17, tried to be politically correct towards the President of Russia, by suggesting that the Civilian Aircraft might have been shot down by "mistake". It makes no sense. Russian President Putin is in the business of using terror to restore Russia from what he termed the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th. century. The Economist (July 26th-August 1st), rightly calls its leader article: "A Web of Lies", concluding as follows:
"The West should face the uncomfortable truth that mr. Putin's Russia is fundamentally antagonistic. Bridge-building and resets will not persuade him to behave as a normal leader. The West should impose tough sanctions now, pursue his corrupt friends and throw him out of every international talking shop that relies on telling the truth. Anything else is appeasement- and an insult to the innocents on MH17."
As we know in the meantime, the so-called "separatists" are led and commanded by Putin's own cronies from the (former) KGB, who, like Putin himself, lost their souls while being trained as a KGB officer. Russia's cooperation in the aftermath of the downing of Flight MH17 was absolutely zero, despite alleged promises to the Dutch Prime Minister. Even before the debris was cleared Russia stepped up its support to the so called separatists. In the meantime war is raging over the area. Putin must be held politically and personally responsible for the terror that also caused the crash of the Civilian Airplane.
The West, the European Union in particular, must disentangle themselves from the political and economic ties with Russia and immediately halt any delivery of weapons. The alleged 1 billion, France is claiming to have received as advance payment can be kept to compensate the victims of Putin's policy of terror. I deliberately use the term disentangle rather than imposing sanctions. Sanctions against a major power acting as a rogue state are unlikely to be effective. Our - the West, NATO's and the European Union's - first priority is to regain our political and economic freedom necessary to contain further expansion through terror by Putin's Russia. The defense and welfare of all member states of NATO and the EU are at stake.
Putin's policy of terror to regain "the near abroad" is official Russian policy since he came to power: Transnistria against Moldava, the war against Georgia followed by the dismemberment of Georgia; the annexation of Crimea and currently, the efforts to further destabilize and destroy Ukraine leave no doubt as to his policy aims - territorial expansion - and his methods - by using his own security service operatives, tugs and criminals to do the dirty work.