“We are all tired of the war.” Only those on the battlefield in Ukraine have the right to say this. And those living in towns and cities that are being evacuated multiple times a day. And those scattered involuntarily across Europe and North America, waiting for news from and about their loved ones. And those who don't know if they will be able to resume their interrupted lives. And those in the Ukrainian diaspora who are glued to their computers every day, hoping to hear some good news while supporting their compatriots.
For the upcoming peace summit to have a beneficial outcome, participants must remember that only one man and one nation can take responsibility for this war and end it. The other side is simply defending its country and trying to reclaim its territory.
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If the summit begins with that premise, it will end successfully, reinforcing the belief (which is just a belief) that the views and opinions of “humanity” matter. But what if the summit turns out to be (as it often does) simply an exercise in encouraging victims to cave to the demands of genocidal sociopaths in order to appease those responsible for genocide and mayhem? In that case, participants should stay home.
In the meantime, Ukraine must stay the course. Putin's Russia is more than an invading power trying to seize land it doesn't claim; more than an “empire builder” preying on weaker neighbors like any other predator; more than a bastard of history that talks of “peace” and “rights” but excludes both, all of which have had their moments of fame and infamy before (thankfully) fading into the dustbin of history.
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HIMARS destroys Russian military positions in southern Ukraine
Unmanned aerial vehicle crew from the 73rd Maritime Special Operations Center spotted the Russian troop concentrations during a reconnaissance mission and coordinated fire with their U.S.-made HIMARS.
Putin’s Russia is intent on settling the Ukrainian “problem” for good: it resents the very existence of peoples and nations along its borders that seek to choose their own path and destiny without “permission” from the Kremlin. Russia resents the fact that a nation it always thought was “one of theirs” is not, and never was, a nation that Russia has severely abused and exploited for over three centuries. Russia resents the fact that Ukraine rejected their deplorable “Russkii Mir” and thus deprived them of a strengthened foothold to dominate the Eurasian landmass without challenging their rule.
The tsars tried to solve the “problem” by suppressing anyone who even hinted at a separate and obviously distinct state, exiling them to Siberia, their languages were banned, their books burned, their cultural monuments destroyed, and their achievements and milestones were either folded into Russian history or buried.
Stalin then thought he could succeed where the Tsar had failed, by simply isolating Ukrainians in huge starvation camps for two years, killing millions and then destroying much of their demographic by resettling their vacant homes and villages with Russians.
Putin now hopes to succeed where others have failed, and ensure that future Russian generations will not be plagued by the Ukrainian “problem.”
That is why Ukraine must stay the course. We do not yet know enough about President Zelenskyy's plans and expectations for the “peace summit” that begins in a few days. But he should be credited for being the “first” to set a “peace” agenda based on the rule of (international) law, human rights, and the never-outdated (but often violated) principles of the UN Charter.
What is known is that most of the roughly 100 countries represented at the summit are barely bothered by the carnage of the past 28 months — the horrific rape, pillage, torture, kidnappings, and routine destruction of towns and cities, the poisoning of Ukraine's ecosystem, and the indiscriminate slaughter of its people — like the residents of their communities who simply stood by and took videos of the murderous attacks, but did nothing to help.
We also know that even some of Ukraine's strongest supporters are hesitant, for reasons of self-interest and expediency, to agree to the steps necessary to scale back Putin's military buildup and fund-raising capabilities. Can we expect anything more than diplomatic nonsense from such a summit? At the very least, additional air defense systems to protect what remains of Ukraine's greatly reduced infrastructure would be a welcome outcome.
Whatever the outcome, one thing is certain: no peace “resolution” or initiative can ever replace Ukraine’s clear and unequivocal position: there will be no peace in Ukraine without the complete restoration of its territorial and sovereignty.
Let the world's diplomats gather and speak out. Let the military wait for the slightest glimmer of hope for a “ceasefire.” But the only concession Ukraine can offer that doesn't taint the hundreds of thousands of lives lost in this war is a peaceful Russian withdrawal from Ukraine.
In the words of Patrick Henry, who risked life and fortune against the British King during the American War of Independence, “Is life so dear, and peace so sweet, that it can be traded for chains and slavery?”
