Ukraine's allies in Europe are moving beyond their usual emphasis on diplomacy and sanctions in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with a new focus on urgently arming Kyiv as the best chance at changing Vladimir Putin's decision-making.
After six weeks of a war that sanctions have done little to ease — and no sign that negotiations with Russia will produce any result — some of the bloc's least likely warriors are calling for more weapons.
On Monday Germany's foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock — from the traditionally pacifist Green Party — called for sending “more military equipment, above all heavy weapons. “There is no time to make excuses.”
The shift partly comes as European nations accept that sanctions have done little to crimp Russia's ability to fund its military operations, and several nations continue to resist the toughest actions over fears they would also hit their own economies. Many of the measures introduced by the EU, such as restrictions on technology exports, are designed to impact the Russian economy over time.
In terms of short-term impact, the bloc has few tools left at its disposal other than sanctioning Russia's oil and gas — and on that member states remain divided. An EU diplomat also noted that the bloc's assessment of how to inflict pain on the Russian government doesn't always square with Putin's own strategic calculations.
“Normally, wars have been won and lost on the…
