Good question. Who knows, all I know is that it is time to really de-escalate relations between the big power blocks. At the same time Western democracies have to put limits on what totalitarian regimes, true and wannabe ones, are allowed to get away with. These things seem to be mutually exclusive so. I always thought the Putin is the most dangerous and cunning leader the world currently has. I also thought that this cunning would prevent him from doing anything stupid. Not so sure anymore about the last bit anymore, given with what he got away with so far.

Don't ask me what Western powers should do so. Given the loss in soft power in the last decade, throwing out human rights by the EU during the refugee crisis and ever since, the new alliance between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Trumps foreign policy, options seem to be limited.

The EU knows it can’t risk a major energy supply (as evidenced by Gazprom running roughshod over Vestager).

That's not true actually. Not a fan of the modern Russia but a fan of accuracy. That plane was shot down by rebel Donbass forces by mistake. They were not well trained and mistook it for a military plane.