The European Union just recently enacted its 21st package of sanctions against Russia as a response to Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Western and southern Europe, meanwhile, continues to measure out costs and benefits carefully,” he observes. “In the face of this measly response, Putin only continues to escalate. Unlike Europe,” he emphasizes, “Putin understands that a war effort requires all of society; it takes sacrifice, and pain.” “Putin’s response was outright dismissal: freezing the conflict is impossible,” recalls Kasparov, “and the suggestion only shows that Tokayev doesn’t understand the nature of war.