Putin Tried to Blackmail Europe... it failed

Putin attempted to blackmail Europe into lifting their sanctions against Russia by promising to reduce the flow of migrants from the war torn Middle East. Despite his threats, the European Union held firm and refused to give in to Russia's scheme. In response, Putin has only brought further strain on EU-Russia relations through increased aggression towards Ukraine and other Eastern Europeans countries under the Kremlin's influence. This attempt shows just how desperate Putin is to remove the economic pinch caused by Western sanctions that effectively cut off access to critical markets and technology for many of Russia's largest companies. However, it clearly also highlights that Putin is unable or unwilling to play by international norms or understand the repercussions of his actions, proving he will continue pushing until Europe gives way--which unfortunately appears unlikely anytime soon.