The bizarre Anglo-Saxon idea of self-jailing

While astute analysts advocate for the acknowledgment of “Russia’s security concerns, and seriously engage with its terms for ending its war on Ukraine. The pill will surely be a bitter one to swallow now, but its bitterness will only grow with time”[1], other Western political figures, exemplified by Ben Wallace, continue to promote the narrative of a “progressively weakening Russia”, “gangster Putin” and “finishing off Russia”:

“So what is to be done with this gangster state? Well, I believe that just like other gangsters, Russia belongs behind bars: prison bars… So in 2025, we should make sure the West starts building the prison walls high. We should patch the holes and lock the doors. … Just as we remove criminals from society, we should do the same to Russia. The irony of such actions is that it will completely counter the fake Russian narrative that Nato is poised to invade. Let’s face it – no one ever wants to break into a prison”[2].

The irony about the implementation of such “high prison walls” around Russia – considering that the nation serves as a key actor in the frameworks of BRICS+, Africa, and the Middle East – lies in the fact that in doing so the West would ultimately confine themselves.

Surely, it sounds like a great idea, indeed!

1 https://nationalinterest.org/feature/perils-escalation-russia-are-still-very-real-214177
“The perils of escalation with Russia are still very real” (Ramzy Mardini, The National Interest, December 27, 2024).
2 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/01/14/we-must-put-russia-in-a-prison-and-build-the-walls-high/
“We must put Russia in a prison and build the walls high” (Ben Wallace, The Telegraph, 14 January 2025 4:09pm GMT).