As the world turns its attention to the crisis in Ukraine. I am reminded that the word for “crisis” in Chinese is the same as “opportunity.” This moment is an opportunity for the international community to step up and reaffirm the importance of a post-WWII worldview–a world order in which the aggression of the larger over the smaller is not tolerated. Instead of pointless arguments with Russia about their endless deceptions, send a message to all aggressors that the world community will not allow the gains that came about in response to the tragedies of WWII to be threatened without a fight.
There are too many parallels between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the early aggressions of the Third Reigch. Putin, and Russian aggression toward Ukraine, should set off alarm bells that the world must reaffirm what was learned during WWII. Although the response from the West is far from an apology of appeasement, it is also not enough. There are too many echos of an aggressive state using linguistic and cultural similarities as an excuse to annex a sovereign nation. It to say that simply going to war and abandoning hope of diplomacy is the right path forward. But, the world community should draw the line at a humanitarian crisis.
Just allowing a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine in the wake of a Russian invasion makes no sense. In terms of manpower and money, over the long haul, it will make sense to go ahead and send troops now to promote government stability. What interest does anybody anywhere have in Ukraine becoming a failed state? Not only is this increaeinly inevitable it is Putin’s real motive. The purpose of his invasion is not be so much to conquer Ukraine as to throw it into crisis–through cyber attacks, a war of attrition from proxies, and a slow wearing down of the will of the West to impose sanctions to stop him. Instead of constant arguing about what he will do next, which puts Putin in control of the conversation and the situation, the world community should commit to military intervention to prevent the collapse of what has suddenly become one of the world’s most important democracies. This is the world community’s opportunity to draw the line, a line that the world community should have drawn a long time ago. Tell Putin, and the world, he will not be allowed to destroy a sovereign democracy and create a humanitarian disaster without a full on effort to stop him.
It is time to send troops to Ukraine. Not only for the sake of the proud, brave Ukrainian people, but for the sake of all small nations all over the world. Otherwise, the international community risks sending the message that its collective military firepower is irrelevant. It does the world community little good to amass weapons and then not use them when use of force is truly justified–in order to prevent and address a humanitarian crisis.
Progressive Without Apology 