Toothless US sanctions over Ukraine

This refers to the report, “Obama announces sanctions on Russia” (April 29). The US has been shrill in its voice over sanctions against Russia. The US sanctions are not going to affect Russia. Obama has said that the US sanctions will also focus on high-tech defence exports to Russia. But the US should first worry about the supply of titanium (a crucial raw material for planes components) from Russia. The US aircraft manufacturer Boeing gets 30 percent of its titanium requirements from Russia.  Has the US thought of any alternate source of supply? Moreover, the European Union is not going to act as per the US wishes of imposing sanctions as natural gas supply, vital for heating during the winter, comes from Russia. Also, businessmen in Europe are averse to sanctions on Russia. Germany has already made its intentions clear. The fears of Ukraine government that Russian action may lead to the third world war are unfounded. The US public will not like its president to plunge the nation into an avoidable war as Ukraine crisis is of no concern to them. The US sanctions are empty threats and Russia knows it. The symbolic gesture of sending several hundred US soldiers to Lithunia, is just to reassure the ex-Soviet republic. Russia has already brought out a payment system on a par with Visa and Mastercard. The days of US being the sole superpower are over. Multi-polar world is vital for world peace and Russia has again emerged as superpower, replacing the Soviet Union.   
Deendayal M. Lulla
Mumbai, India