A NOTHINGBURGER – AT 9:14 A.M. ET:  President Barack ("Tuffy") Obama has just announced new sanctions on some Russians for their country's behavior in Ukraine.  Looks like the international equivalent of "Go stand in the corner for 20 minutes, Vladimir."  From the Chicago Tribune: 

MANILA / SLAVIANSK, Ukraine — President Barack Obama announced new sanctions against some Russians on Monday to stop President Vladimir Putin from fomenting the rebellion in eastern Ukraine, but said he was holding broader measures against Russia's economy "in reserve."

I'm sure Putin is impressed by "in reserve."

On the ground, pro-Moscow rebels showed no sign of curbing their uprising, seizing public buildings in another town in the east. Interfax news agency reported that the mayor of a further major eastern city, Kharkiv, had been shot and was undergoing an operation. It gave no details of the shooting.

Germany demanded Russia act to help secure the release of seven unarmed European military monitors, including four Germans, who have been held by the rebels since Friday.

The new U.S. sanctions, to be outlined in detail later on Monday, will add more people and firms to a list announced last month of figures whose assets are frozen and who are denied visas to travel to the United States.

That'll show Mother Russia!  Frozen assets!  Visa denials!  Why, we're going nuclear!

The European Union is also expected to add targets to its Russia sanctions list on Monday.

Ambassadors from the 28 EU states met in Brussels and an EU diplomat said they were expected to add around 15 new names.

COMMENT:  What kind of a farce is this?  Everyone knows that putting some new sanctions on individuals and businesses will not move Putin an inch.  Besides, it's widely reported that the Europeans don't even favor further sanctions because they have business interests in Russia, and their economies are stressed. 

Putin will get what he wants in Ukraine, unless the West toughens up substantially, which is unlikely to happen.  Obama must be praying that any major Russian action to seize part of Ukraine is delayed until after our midterms.

April 28, 2014