So Britain has decided to lead the charge in cutting Russian diesel and jet fuel imports by the new year. The announcement comes wrapped in the usual Union Jack of moral righteousness, a flag that seems to flutter ever more vigorously the less actual power we wield. One must ask: is this a bold strategic move or merely a piece of theatre for the gallery of history?
The Victorians, at least, would have ensured a proper blockade before declaring victory. Today, we seem content to pat ourselves on the back for banning something we were already weaning ourselves off. The real question, the one that nags like a dripping tap in a damp London flat, is what happens when the Russian bear, cornered and irritable, decides to bite elsewhere.
We have cut off our nose to spite our face before. Let us hope this winter’s chill does not remind us how easily symbolic gestures can become strategic disasters.
