Russia is almost certainly perpetrating war crimes and crimes against humanity against the people of Ukraine, threatening global peace and order. It is time we recognised as an international community that Putin’s regime cannot be reasoned with or trusted and that to grind the Russian economy to a halt is our only option if we wish to bring an end to the war. If Putin wants to elevate Ukrainian grain prices by imposing a blockade, we must impose out own embargo to spike the price of Russian grain— there can be no free lunch for war criminals. 

Russia’s economy and power projection is strongly dependent on ice free year round sea travel from the Black Sea and St. Petersburg. Revoking Russian access sends a message to pariah states that there are consequences for aggression.