Is Russia 'untouchable'?

Moscow's support of Syria, the Ukrainian rebels, and its human rights record, have become too much for western governments to ignore. But sanctions don't seem to phase Russia's leadership. We're asking: can the West influence Moscow, or is Russia really untouchable?

Russia is once again isolating itself from the international community, setting back decades of genuine progress. And it doesn't have to come to this. It didn't have to come to this. This is a choice that Russia, and President Putin in particular, has made.U.S. President Barack Obama

Like many western leaders, the U.S. President is exasperated by Russia. And the shooting of the Malaysian passenger jet worsened an already icy relationship.

This week, Moscow's role in the Ukraine crisis drove the U.S., Canada, and the European Union to pass tougher sanctions in the finance, defence and energy sectors. Russia's leadership appears unphased - at times almost mocking the expanded sanctions.

We put together a short history of Russia's most controversial policies:

To discuss Russia's relations with the West, we were joined by a panel of experts:

- Marta Dyzcok is an Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario, specializing in international politics and history. We reached her in Kiev, Ukraine.

- Kurt Volker is the Executive Director of the McCain Institute for International Leadership and a former US Ambassador to NATO.

- James Sherr is an Associate Fellow at Chatham House in London. He is also the author of Hard Diplomacy and Soft Coercion: Russia's Influence Abroad.

Do you think sanctions will sway Moscow?

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This segment was produced by The Current's Catherine Kalbfleisch, Sarah Grant and intern Wanyee Li.