Clarity in the war between Russia and Ukraine

I have a strong need to get this off my chest about the Russia-Ukraine war.

We are in the second half of the fifth year of a war that, in terms of its duration, has already surpassed World War I. The infamous “meat grinder of Verdun” no longer seems like a dead end when compared with the endless fighting for “Mala Tokmachka.”

The goal of the war from Russia’s perspective is simple: the destruction of the Ukrainian population and the elimination of Ukrainian statehood. Ukraine simply has no choice but to fight; if it were to cease its resistance, it would simply be destroyed.

While Ukraine is putting up a desperate resistance, the rapid capture of the Donetsk region now appears to be an unattainable goal.

In short, we find ourselves today in a vile situation that insults the intelligence of any sane person: In the 21st century, a real war is underway, in which the total number of dead and wounded has long since surpassed 1 million.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world looks on indifferently, failing to provide a clear moral and legal assessment — that Russia is an aggressor that must be stopped, while Ukraine is a victim that must be supported.

Instead, what we see once again is a sham negotiation that effectively plays into Russia’s hands. It is baffling that politicians seem to believe Russia and Ukraine might agree to terms that both sides have made clear they will never accept: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cannot betray his own people by ceding territory, and Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be satisfied with just four Ukraine regions.

Negotiations need leverage. Russia responds to strength, not weakness, and removing pressure without winning concessions only rewards aggression.

Anton Semenov, Schaumburg