The war against Ukraine has been waged by the Russian Federation since 2014 with Russian “annexation” of Crimea and Russian military incursion into Ukraine via supposed Eastern Ukrainian “separatists.” Yet on February 24, the escalation of this war made visible to the world Putin’s plan to not only control a few of its “territories” but to erase Ukraine and Ukrainians because they have been unwilling to accept Putin’s plans to rule their land.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his Ukrainian colleagues stepped up with courage and passionate love for Ukraine to inspire Ukrainians and the world to fight this brutal attempt at occupation. Many other remarkable Ukrainians — government members, children, elderly, soldiers, farmers, musicians, para-olympians — became ordinary heroes fighting for their lives, lands, and freedom. They also inspired the world to respond to this aggression and to unite. World governments, businesses, public figures, stars, and millions of ordinary people decried this war.
Yet Putin has not stopped. The war is ongoing and worsening as I write. Thus, Putin escalation of his horrific violence on human rights and territorial integrity of an independent democratic nation requires that we should continue to escalate our responses to him and his military occupation. Bullies, whether they are a garden variety or are nuclear-weapon wielding, should be stopped from bending the world to their demands or lying to the world about their acts.