Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

There is rather less publicity these days than there was a few months ago, about Russia's war in Ukraine. The BBC for example, now rarely puts the tragic news from that part of the world as its 'front page' story. For example the main BBC headline on 28th July 2023 is  about the size of profits at the UK's NatWest bank. However it is understandable that many people will not focus on the same news for very long, so the media is essentially following the wishes of ordinary people  for new news. Of course when soldiers are simply fighting from say trenches with little apparently happening, there is perhaps little to report.

The Russian war has not so far taken the route sought by aggressor Putin. His   February 2022 invasion, unlike that of the 2014 Crimea invasion, was intended to be short,  ie  to last a few days only, and to "de- Nazify" the country. 

Putin's reasoning was odd given that  my understanding is that the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish. But quite apart from that, would or should, say France have invaded the UK had  a Nazi type party or even Jeremy Corbyn's  Labour Party been elected  to govern here? The clear answer in Western Europe would be "No" and so it should have been in the Eastern Europe.

The way Russia is running its war is also appalling. Flooding grain growing areas, putting nuclear power stations at risk and torturing civilians as  well as prisoners of war, are examples that come to mind. I am sure that there are atrocities on the side of Ukraine as well but they unlike Putin's war mongers and his armies, are not the invaders.

Why Putin  becomes  hugely agitated when say Moscow is hit in anger by explosives but seems to feel quite at liberty to bomb  civilians in Kyiv is unclear, at least to me.

How Russia's war will end is also unclear. I doubt that armies, air forces and naval forces will resolve much though tragically they will kill and maim aplenty. Possibly, the mothers of young Russian soldiers will rise up in some way causing the war to collapse but ultimately, Putin's assassination may be the exit route to the tragedy. If so that would be an imperfect resolution.

There is no perfect resolution to Putin's appalling war, but   trials  of  ring leader Putin,  and of Putin's cronies, by the International Criminal Court in the Hague, would at least make the position plain for all to see for the future.