Mikheil Saakashvili, former president of the former Soviet Union republic of Georgia, which was invaded by Russia, wants a ban of western firms like Ketchum from representing Russia.

mikheil saakashviliHe served from 2004 to 2013, a period in which Russian troops invaded Georgia and occupied two breakaway region, which were then propped up as independent states. Russia is following a similar playbook with the annexation of Crimea region of Ukraine and the backing of "separatists" in the eastern part of the country, where the missile was fired to shoot the Malaysian airliner from the sky.

In an op-ed piece in Politico Magazine, Saakashvili, now lecturer at Tufts University and possible future advisor to the now western-leaning Government of Ukraine, gave six actions that the US and European Union should follow in response to Putin's mischief in Ukraine.

Point Five reads:

"Help counter Russia’s unending propaganda campaign in the West by banning American and European public relations and government relations firms from representing Russia or companies in which the government has shares. While the decade of wining, dining and buying European elites cannot be undone, the recruitment should at least be halted."

Ketchum has every right to represent any client it wants. The US, after all, has not slapped public relations sanctions on Putin.

The Omnicom unit, however, is on the wrong side of history in sticking with Putin, especially following the horrific attack on a civilian airliner.

Russia may not have fired the missile, but it did provide the advanced system to a bunch of murderous thugs who did the deed.

Does Ketchum really need the $3.1M that Russia spent there in fees/expenses for the year-ended March period? State-owned energy unit Gazprom kicked in another $6.3M.

Does parent Omnicom need the Russian cash?