Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have fiercely underestimated the resolve of the Ukrainian people and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In his acts of unprovoked war, Putin has also unintentionally solidified — if not strengthened — the informal alliance between Ukraine and the West. It seems as though the Russian autocrat was deluded by his own lies and propaganda enough to believe that such a takeover would be a cakewalk. It has proven to be otherwise, and it is likely we’ve yet to see the worst. Meanwhile, Western powers must be judicious in their continued response and acknowledgment of the real enemy.
Under Putin, the Russian army continues to commit war crimes in its attacks on innocent Ukrainian civilians. There is mounting evidence of human rights abuses and violations of international law, in which civilian residences, schools, hospitals and orphanages have all been targets of Russian aggression. Ancient cities are being leveled by the day as hundreds of thousands have no other choice but to seek refuge in neighboring cities and countries. As we speak, families are being torn apart while women, children and the elderly are forced to abandon their livelihoods in Ukraine and the able-bodied men remain to defend their homeland. It is a war the Ukrainian people didn’t ask for, but one in which they have risen to the occasion.
There has been an overwhelming collective response, expression of outrage and condemnation of Putin throughout the West. The Russian army’s advances have signaled the largest declaration of war since World War II and the end of a longstanding peace in Europe. To those who weren’t yet alive or are too young to remember the Cold War and the ironfisted rule of the United Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the war in Ukraine serves as a bitter reminder of the precariousness and fragility of democracy. Nevertheless, we should resist the urge to blindly accept the absolute narratives coming from the political and media establishment about our own involvement in this Eastern conflict.
Sanctions are the West’s only weapon in combating Russia without actual use of military force. Cutting off major banks and financial institutions, banning oil and natural gas imports and freezing the assets of Putin’s cronies and Russian oligarchs are all viable options that the U.S. and European Union (EU) have already begun implementing. However, imposing harsh sanctions will certainly have dire implications, for it is virtually impossible to inflict “targeted” or “strategic” sanctions without placing a heavy burden on ordinary people. Current international sanctions have already plummeted the Russian ruble to new lows and have forced interest rates up 20% in order to prevent a total collapse of their currency. With a severely compromised economy and calamitous recession looming, the Russian people will soon be forced to stand in breadlines reminiscent of the Soviet Union years.
Additionally, the vilification of the Russian people for the unspeakable actions of their dictator is hardly fair. The symbolic gestures of pulling vodka and Russian dressing from supermarket shelves to exiling artists, performers and athletes only further stigmatize ethnic Russians and their culture. Moreso, it plays into the narrative of their victimization by the West and may lead to even more ethnonationalism. There is a tendency we often have in the West to assume that the rest of the world should be willing to make sacrifices for the democratic values we hold so dear. Yet, the reality for people living in post-Soviet, present-day Russia is that they have witnessed multiple regime changes within the past three decades, and their current autocratic regime is known to jail or forcibly make individuals disappear if they speak out against or protest its actions. Americans are far too quick to cast judgment when others aren’t so willing to defend their Western worldviews, let alone willing to die for them.
Social media can be a great tool, if used responsibly. The social media response to this crisis has largely been one of steadfast support for Ukraine and humanitarian organizations in their efforts to provide safety, shelter and asylum for the displaced population that now consists of over 1 million Ukrainians. As such, the dissemination of valuable information can be life-saving. However, the way that people from the West are donating in droves to military and arms efforts is disconcerting, given most social media users’ lack of knowledge of geopolitical history or any real stake in the matter.
A triumph for Ukraine, with the least bloodshed and destruction possible, is all we can really hope for. We must consider the implications of involving the U.S. in another proxy war by which we effectively turn Ukraine into the next Afghanistan, jeopardize the global economy, or worse, provoke an all-out nuclear war. While we cannot deny the existential threat that Putin poses to the West, we must also weigh the consequences of our own interference in his vanity project. We cannot afford to let our emotions be hijacked for ulterior geopolitical aims or to risk mutual-assured destruction for our own self-righteousness — or worse — ignorance.
Melissa Newell is an Opinion Staff Writer for the spring 2022 quarter. She can be reached at mrnewell@uci.edu.
Related
"conflict" - Google News
March 29, 2022 at 11:06AM
https://ift.tt/j8ye5oP
Resist Moral Absolutism in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict - New University
"conflict" - Google News
https://ift.tt/Vx3HpbG
https://ift.tt/x3Dj4Qq
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Resist Moral Absolutism in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict - New University"
Post a Comment