Surely there are multiple non- military options open to the West.
A bit of reading online seems to indicate that the much vaunted turn off the gas threat is a little overstated... from what I can see, there is at least 5 months supply stockpiled already.
Freeze Russian offshore assets, or confiscate them.
Including Putin's Dachas in London?!
Many avenues for sanctions.
Travel restrictions.
Kick `em out of the G8.
Many are ugly, and not without economic cost to us, but would exert pressure and are no doubt infinitely favourable to standing nose to nose, armed.
And more escalatory - if they are prepared to tear up international agreements on non-aggression, then there's the Montreaux Treaty... the non-observance of which would make it a little difficult for them to get into the Med.
Last edited by tartare; 5th Mar 2014 at 01:07.
Reason: Events moving quickly.