It’s not about him.

The Ukraine crisis revolves around the Russian president Vladimir PutinHis suffering is what historians have called the “rationality slidepage” caused by 22 years of dictatorial power. Having grown more rigid and isolated with time – surrounded by sycophants and facing unanticipated Ukrainian resistance – he is doubling down on his premeditated, unprovoked, illegal, and immoral war.

The second is about the West. We need to reverse the “purposefulness slidepage” that has characterised Western democracies over the past 30 years. underscored by an erosion of democratic gains around the world since 2006. Putin is the product of our collective forgetfulness about how despots behave when appeased too long. Ukraine is not the only victim, but it is an immediate one.

We responded too little after Russia’s cyberattack on Estonia2007 Russia’s Georgian invasion in 2008, Russia’s annexation of Crimea and Donbas military intervention in 2014; Russia’s ongoing cyber and disinformation attacks on U.S. and other democracies; its repression and assassination of opponents now this unfolding international crime scene in Ukraine.

An explosion of announcements over the weekend signals a major shift in Europe. This is reflected in the Biden administration’s decision to take a stronger position and to make more aggressive moves, which suggest a rising realization that Putin’s aggressions pose a risk to Europe’s future.

On Saturday, the European Union, the U.S, France, Germany, Italy, the U.K., Japan and Canada – the Group of 7 countries, plus the EU – announced unprecedented, major economic sanctions against Russia. Josh Lipsky (director of the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center) stated that foreign assets have never been frozen in G-20 economies before. The sanctions could lead to a collapse of the commercial banking sector and a precipitous drop in the ruble when the markets open.

The moves included removing select Russian banks from the SWIFT systemThis will undermine their global ability to act; prevent Russia’s Central Bank to deploy its reserves in ways which could reduce the effect of sanctions; crackdown against “golden passports,” which allow wealthy Russians easy access to Western financial services.

This was followed by Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor, announcing a ground-breaking decisionHis Sunday decision to raise defense spending followed closely by the acquisition of anti-aircraft missiles and systems for Ukraine. more than 2% of GDP alongside a $100 billion special fund for defense investments.

Scholz wrote on Saturday, “The Russian Invasion marks a turning moment.” It’s our duty to help Ukraine defend against Putin’s invading army.

And that, in turn was a bonus. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s release of a further $350 million in military support,Signing off President Joe Biden’sHe is coming to realize that his legacy will be remembered.

The third, and most immediate, crisis concerns Ukraine. This is a democracy. country of 44 million that became independent after the dissolution of the Soviet UnionLate 1991. Since then, the main threat to Moscow has been Ukraine’s example of independence freedom and prosperity. Putin is trying suppress this with lies that Volodomyr Zelenskyy, its Jewish president, and his government “are a”neo-Nazi gang,” committing war crimesThese should all be documented and prosecuted.

Zelenskyy, who refused to leave Kyiv’s capital, has been hailed as an unlikely hero. Zelenskyy refused to leave the country’s capital of Kyiv after U.S. officials tried to rescue him. Instead, he said that he had “needed ammunition” and needed to be evacuated.not a ride.”

Putin has been surprised at the persistence of Ukraine’s resistance, which gave Western democracies more leeway to take action. Ukraine’s military, along with thousands of newly recruited volunteers, retook control. Kyiv Saturday from Russian troops and undercover unitsThey continue resisting Russian attempts to seize Kharkiv (Ukraine’s second largest city)

Putin is certain to double down on his efforts in order not to accept defeat. Putin has not even touched the extent of what his 190,000. troops could do. Putin’s war of aggression now threatens his survival. He put his hand in Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces on high alertA brazen attempt to endanger the whole world.

“If fierce Ukrainian resistance leads into a long, bloody war,” wrote The Wall Street Journal’s Yaroslav Trofimov from Kyiv, “or forces Mr. Putin to seek to end the fighting without achieving his goals – the setback could threaten both his hold on power in Moscow and his drive to restore Russia as a global power.”

If Putin’s actions are not stopped, Putin’s armies will be closer to NATO member countries that were once considered “captive” by the Soviet bloc and now members of European Union. It is becoming a consensus. driving the actions of this weekend, that Putin would not stop at Ukraine.

Sometimes it takes brave people such as the Ukrainians reminding us how much we take for granted the freedoms. As a correspondent in Eastern Europe and Central Europe, 1980s I saw it as the role of the Polish pope and their people during the Cold War.

The most memorable moment at the Munich Security Conference, a few days before, was for me a small private dinner with Ukrainian parliamentarians aged between 30 and 40.

Each spoke passionately, each one appealing to American and European colleagues for help to preserve the Ukrainian democracy that inspired them.

An ex-parliamentarian and a young lady who would one day return home to Ukraine to start the war spoke out about commitments made by Ukraine under the Budapest Memorandum. In return for Ukraine’s agreement to give Russia all 1,800 of its nuclear weapons, the U.S. and Great Britain offered them security guarantees.

Her message was simple: Ukraine has fulfilled all its promises, now it is time for America and its partners.

The chance of President Zelenskyy’s delegation succeeding in negotiations at the Belarus border between a Russian delegation and President Zelenskyy would be much greater if Putin was confident that Ukraine has his back.

—Frederick Kempe is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Atlantic Council.