Ukraine: Prolonging the Suffering
And Playing Nuclear Russian Roulette
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24th 2002 sent shockwaves through the world. No one had seen anything like this in Europe since WWII.
I remember waking up that morning and turning on the TV to hear the haunting wail of air-raid sirens in a major European capital. It reduced me to tears. That terrifying noise of impending doom and the complete disgust I felt that something like this could happen on our continent less than a century after the great powers came together to say ‘never again’.
I got swept up in all the thunderous anger at Russia and defiant flag-waving for Ukraine that enveloped the West in the days, weeks, and months following the invasion. Zelensky was the new Churchill. Putin was the new Hitler. And with thinly veiled nuclear threats from the Russian leader on the day of invasion, that anger was accompanied by real fear of what was about to happen.
For many weeks it was hard for me to listen to my favourite journalists talk about the conflict because they were not caught up in the steadfast pro-Ukraine anti-Russia feelings that consumed pretty much everyone else. Eventually, after emotions stopped running so high and rationality returned, I was ready to listen. They had a point.
No Winners
Many journalists and commentators have gone into great detail about how they believe Russia was provoked by NATO and Ukraine in various ways and over many years. This is important to consider, but it’s not something I’m considering here. I am approaching this from a purely ethical, harm-reduction perspective.
Sending arms and funds to Kyiv to continue its futile war with Moscow is doing nothing other than prolonging the suffering and destruction of Ukraine.
They’re getting nowhere and everyone knows it, yet the same preposterous propaganda is still churned out. Ukraine can win with our help, they say. No — they cannot. No one can win. This war has the potential to go nuclear and then it’s goodnight and goodbye to life on Earth as we know it.
Russia has repeatedly made clear they are not bluffing and its nuclear doctrine permits the use of these catastrophic weapons if their national integrity is threatened.
MOSCOW, May 6 2024 (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday it would practise the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons as part of a military exercise after what the Moscow said were threats from France, Britain and the United States.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Russia has repeatedly warned of rising nuclear risks.
Russia says the United States and its European allies are pushing the world to the brink of confrontation between nuclear powers by supporting Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars of weapons, some of which are being used against Russian territory.
Russia's defence ministry said it would hold military drills including practice for the preparation and deployment for use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.
Western leaders are playing Nuclear Russian Roulette with everyone’s lives each time they raise the stakes in a conflict we don’t need to fight.
The West should be pushing for a negotiated peace because it’s in the interests of everyone, and everything.
Consistent Values
Those who aspire to do less harm to humans, the environment, and animals should not advocate conflict, and if we cheer on more guns, tanks and missiles for Ukraine — this is what we’re doing. The human cost is unimaginable for all affected, but the number of animals that suffer and die in war is enormous, something the media practically never talks about. The environmental impact is catastrophic and, again, rarely gets a mention. Humanitarian, environmentalist, vegan — to be any of those is to be anti-war.
The Right Side
The Ukrainians have the right to defend themselves and their land. However, it’s not as simple as that in southeastern regions of the country, where many of the inhabitants consider themselves closer to Russia, ethnically and culturally. Are we assisting an occupied people in freeing themselves or doing precisely the opposite?
The truth is far more complex than many Western leaders would have us believe.
I’m not suggesting we abandon Ukraine to a terrible fate. We should support them in ways that bring peace and prosperity — the current approach is not achieving this.
It’s time to stop pouring petrol on this fire.
📚 References:
Cited with an underlined hyperlink within the article.
✍ Comments Welcome
I welcome all feedback and will correct factual errors if you spot them.
At the risk of incurring your wrath Finster, I don’t think Russia has underestimated Western Sociopathy, I think Putin has played to it
The sociopaths who rule the West would without hesitation annihilate us all rather than admit defeat.
They already have poured so much into the regime in Kiev that there is no going back now. This abuse of The Sunk Cost Fallacy is entirely intentional.