[dkersten]

No legitimate grievances warrant invading another country. And even if you disagree, definitely no legitimate grievances warrant targeting civilians. That’s terrorism, plain and simple. Putin is a terrorist.

Putins acts have demonstrated that Ukraine’s desires to join the EU and NATO are absolutely warranted, to protect themselves from exactly this.

Additionally, Putin has threatened anyone that gets in his way from getting what he wants with nuclear war. We can debate about whether it’s an idle threat or not but if it’s true, then that and his attack on civilians shows that he has no regard for human life, that he would rather face his own peoples annihilation if it means he can also punish those who stand in his way. Someone making such threats, and who had a clear history of lying, cannot be trusted. What does listening to him achieve if nothing he says can be trusted? Nothing he agrees can be trusted, so what agreement can possibly be made?

The invasion of Ukraine was premeditated, he was planning it for many many months based on the movement of troops and equipment and the leaked reports I heard about. This wasn’t a reaction to a breakdown in diplomacy, this was a long planned invasion.

I’m not saying we should invade Russia back and I’m not saying we shouldn’t take great care when dealing with the situation. I am saying that Putin cannot be trusted and I fear diplomacy doesn’t work against someone whose promises cannot be trusted and someone who has shown to have great ambitions yet also a callous disregard for human life. I also don’t think we can reasonably assume that he won’t use nuclear weapons when his attack on Ukraine is becoming increasingly brutal as he’s getting more desperate.

So what are we to do? Just give him what he wants? Show him and the rest of the world that brutality and threatening nuclear war gets you whatever you ask for?