![]() ![]() But those wars were far from their core territory, and Putin has repeatedly stated that Ukraine’s status as part of the Russian sphere of interest, and even as part of Russia itself, is a matter of existential security: that an “ ant-Russia” on its doorstep is an intolerable threat. Some observers point out that nuclear powers have neither threatened nor deployed such weapons when losing wars in the past: the Americans in Vietnam and the Russians in Afghanistan, for instance. Commentary is divided on how seriously to take this saber-rattling. Any future international tribunal could indict Russian leaders and military personnel for the crime of aggression, crimes against humanity and war crimes some commentators also mention genocide.Īnd now there is the Russian nuclear threat. Aiding Ukraine in its liberation and resisting Russian imperial expansion is necessary and legitimate. Meanwhile, the civilians under Russian occupation are enduring massacre, deportation, filtration and forced assimilation. Russia’s missile attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure in reaction to the bombing of the Kerch Strait Bridge indicates the further coarsening of the Russian mode of warfare. and most European countries continue to arm Ukraine, the war could continue indefinitely, with further terrible consequences for civilians and soldiers, including the many millions in Africa and elsewhere who rely on the grain, vegetable oil and fertilizer produced both in Russia (the world’s largest wheat exporter) and Ukraine (the world’s fifth-largest grain exporter). Although a ceasefire is not an immediate option while both sides seek territorial advantage, the Ukrainian success raises the question of where third parties, including the UN, can steer the conflict away from further escalation with its inherent dangers.ĭiplomats are confronted by invidious choices. The Ukrainian military advances against Russian forces in eastern and southern Ukraine have transformed the debate about peace negotiations.
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