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| Bodies being buried in a mass grave (Newsweek) |
No matter what has been thrown at him so far, Putin remains undeterred. The crippling sanctions placed on Russia by the US and Europe hasn’t phased him. No matter how united the free world is in condemning Russia. No matter how much sacrifice the rest of the free world – including the US - has made in sanctioning Russia… Putin is oblivious to all of it. It has not altered his military aggression in the slightest. If anything he has increased it – bombarding city after city from the air and killing innocent people indiscriminately in the processes. In one case a maternity ward filled with pregnant women was bombed! Death and destruction is everywhere. Deaths that include thousands of Russia’s own soldiers.
Putin ‘s countrymen do not know the truth. They are being led to believe that this is a military ‘operation’ to protect the Russian homeland. Protests against the war are illegal and have been put down. It is illegal to even use the words ‘war and ‘invasion’. But the truth cannot be silenced forever. One brave Russian woman that works for a government controlled TV news outlet jumped into the middle of a ‘news’ broadcast holding hand written sign protesting the war! Needless to say she was arrested.
It is to the credit of the brave Ukrainian people and their leader, President Zelensky that they are willing to fight to the death to keep their country free and democratic. This has slowed Putin down on the ground. Something he surely didn't expect. But it has not stopped him. The killing and maiming goes on from the air and is increasing.
This morning I watched President Zelensky address congress. He was given a standing ovation before he began speaking. Even though he thanked the President for his unprecedented support in the form of sanctions, military equipment, and money, he pleaded for more from our President. He asked to to fulfil his role as the leader of the free world by creating a ‘no fly zone’ over the Ukrainian skies. Even if only for humanitarian purposes. He also asked for stronger sanctions and more military equipment
President Biden has thus far refused to create a no fly zone. And refused to transfer Polish fighter planes to the Ukraine. He fears widening the war to include NATO nation like Poland. Whcih automatcually means the US getting involved
Surely is fear is based on the possibility of this war meandering into a nuclear conflagration. Putin has already rattled nuclear sabre. President Biden is justifiably concerned about that and does not want to take that chance. If pushed against the wall, who knows What Putin might do!
The question is, what is the right thing to do here? Should our fear of nuclear war give Putin free reagn to do what he wants with relative impunity? (Which is how he views the current sanctions - even though they are devastating his economy). What we have done till now hasn’t stopped him. A ‘no fly zone’ might push him in that direction. His ground offensive hasn’t been working. That’s why he has increased his air war. If he can’t bomb the Ukraine from the air anymore, where is he going to go next? Chemical weapons? Putin is a ‘whatever it takes’ kind of guy. He might just resort to that. Or worse.
I know that I said he was bluffing when he said he surrounded the Ukrainian with his military. I was grossly mistaken about that. But what about now? Can he be serious about doing something that will assure unprecedented death and destruction upon the world? Will a no fly zone precipitate that?
I honestly don't know we should do. My head says we should side with avoiding nuclear war at all costs. But aside from that do what we can.
But my heart says that we must stop Putin. If that requires a no fly zone we ought to provide it. If Poland wants to send them MIGs, we should encourage them. Not prevent them. Is Poland more courageous than us?
We need to do the right thing and stop Putin. Before it’s too late. On the other hand, do we risk starting WWIII?