In international diplomacy, military action backed by political propaganda can never be accepted as a way of shifting borders or destroying countries. Since the U.N.’s formation in the wake of World War II, the number of members that have been eliminated is zero. But this principle, which holds to this day, won’t withstand a U.N. member invading, and progressively annexing, its neighbor’s territory, while hiding behind the shield of a Security Council veto.

Putin’s legitimacy as a leader, and Russia’s legitimacy as a country on the world stage, has been forever ruined by this criminal war. What remains to be seen, however, is if the West will do what must be done to preserve the world order — not just by sanctioning Russia and divesting from its energy, but by stopping its participation at the international level until it’s a reformed country.