Editorial: West’s punishing sanctions against Putin are 21st-century tools of war

The steps that Europe and the US are taking to shut Russia out of the global financial system could not only hobble Putin’s plans, but bring the country to financial ruin

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the US and Europe have unveiled punitive sanctions without precedent, on hundreds of billions of dollars of Russian assets overseas

Vladimir Putin is waging his monstrous war on the people of Ukraine the old-fashioned way: by bombarding cities, inflicting mass civilian casualties, reducing parts of the country to rubble, and creating the biggest exodus of refugees from a war zone in living memory. And the Ukrainian people are resisting him the old-fashioned way, with uncommon heroism and courage.

But amid the horror, something new has emerged. The Nato alliance has ruled out any military engagement ...