Industrialized dilemma: What to do about Russia?

For some Russians the West served as an enticing beacon of civility during Russia’s torturous journey toward democracy in the 1990s, said Sergei Karaganov, chairman of the influential Council for Foreign and Defence Policy. But that light has been snuffed out, he said, by the West’s poor behaviour in the Middle East.

Like many other analysts, Mr. Karaganov points out that even if Western leaders decide to voice their concerns forcefully to Mr. Putin this weekend, they’re no longer speaking from a position of strength. The best that foreign delegations can hope for, he said, is to avoid offending their host.

The Globe and Mail