Symbolism over Substance: In the Ukraine Crisis, The EU Steps Up
'As Russia wages its war in Ukraine, the European Union, particularly Germany, has stepped up its efforts to rein in Russian President Vladimir Putin, joining with the US and others in applying punitive sanctions on Moscow and Putin’s enablers. While the actions of Brussels and Berlin have been portrayed in the media as something of a coming-into-their-own power play, the reality is that the approach is redolent more of symbolism than substance, writes Stefan Huebner of the Asia Research Institute at National University of Singapore. China’s approach to the crisis – its unwillingness to join in condemning and punishing Russia – has been a more important factor, but it has also raised questions about how Beijing might react if it came into conflict with the US and other powers, possibly over Taiwan. Is the clash with Russia a dress rehearsal for a future confrontation with China?'