If these measures don't work, there's real unpleasantness to come

…unlike in the Cold War, there are no clear limits on how far this Russia feels it can push this America

writes John Vinocur in his reflections of Vladimir Putin's Kremlin.

The sanctions Sarkozy is talking about are hard, new measures outside the United Nations that would probably involve an ad hoc group including the United States, Britain, France and Japan at its core.

This approach specifically means forgetting about the Security Council, and giving up on Russia, barring sudden and unlikely cooperation. The sanctions have to be so penalizing, obviously disadvantaging Western banks and industry, to become truly dissuasive. This requires real resolve.