Exactly. Although sanctions and boycotts are unlikely to stop Putin's war in Ukraine, they do send a strong message to the Russian people that something is seriously wrong. This will undoubtedly cause more defections from the regime, less faith in their government, more awareness of the threats to their economy and living standards and more sympathy for the anti-war protesters. Perhaps even more significantly, more Russians will understand that their government's policies do not represent their interests.

We don't know whether or not Putin will listen to such warnings. But, given the intensity of Russian nationalism, and how little they are held to account for their policies abroad, Putin will be fearful of losing his people's support. And this might persuade him to stop his aggression.