By Amanda Paul
Sanctions must be beefed up immediately, while Putin must face war crime charges for Russia’s ongoing premeditated invasion of Ukraine and attack on the free world.
In the early hours of 24 February, Russia launched a brutal assault on Ukraine. Its air and ground forces entered the country from multiple directions, targeting strategic infrastructure and cities by both conventional and non-conventional (i.e. cyberspace) means. Over 100,000 Ukrainians have fled to nearby EU member states and Moldova. At the time of writing, Russian forces are carrying out a massive assault on the capital of Kyiv.
Putin’s blatant act of aggression is not simply a result of his delusional imperialistic ambitions and desire to conquer a democratic Ukraine. The West’s abject failure to adequately respond to Putin or learn lessons from his previous flagrant acts of aggression, including the 2008 war against Georgia and subsequent invasion of Ukraine in 2014, is also to blame.
While it is impossible to say how long this war will last, what is certain is that it will have major consequences for Ukraine, Europe, and the global order. The steps that the West now takes to support Ukraine and push back against Russia are crucial.
There is no time to waste.
Read the full commentary here.