The economic war on Russia is Ukraine’s best hope

Editorial: Provided China doesn’t decide to underwrite President Putin’s rickety war machine and weak economy, the sanctions will make an increasing difference

Despite the Ukrainian setbacks, the war seems likely to drag on for some time (AFP/Getty)

As The Independent’s poignant reports from Kim Sengupta indicate, the war is not going well for the Ukrainians in the east of their country.

After months of bungling and failure, Russia is gradually bringing to bear some of the few advantages it possesses – sheer weight of heavy artillery, and an inhuman willingness to target civilian areas with it. Not only is this the biggest European conflict since the Second World War, it’s also one of unusual savagery between peoples who are so traditionally close. Even if the fighting were to stop in the morning, the hatred would persist for many decades.

Pulverising the land he wishes soon to occupy may not be rational, but it makes perfect sense to the man who started all this more than three months ago. For him, it isn’t about people or even economic resources, but purely about land. He equates territory with power and has made no secret of wanting to regain Russia’s past dominance of eastern Europe and the Caucasus.