The True Warmongers
Vladimir Putin follows the logic of violence. Only a foreseeable military defeat can force him to peace. By Rainhard Kloucek
They allegedly want to end human suffering and bring peace. They demand an end to sanctions against the Putin regime and peace negotiations. They believe that arms deliveries to Ukraine would only prolong the war, thereby accepting human suffering and the death of thousands. They believe Ukraine only needs to declare its neutrality, and the world would be as it was before 24 February 2022. Gas would flow unhindered, we would have no problems, the world would be in order and at peace. All those who advocate for arms deliveries to Ukraine, and indeed to an increased extent, are, in their view, warmongers.
They are mistaken.
On 24 February this year, Vladimir Putin elevated the war of conquest, which began against Ukraine in 2014, to the level of a war of annihilation. He denies everything Ukrainian and refuses to accept an independent Ukraine. He shows no willingness for peace talks, as repeatedly demanded by various forces who believe this war has nothing to do with Europe.
Vladimir Putin started this war of annihilation because he believes he can make history on the battlefield. Whether he drew his inspiration for these ideas from one of the Tsars, from the Soviet Union, or from his favourite ideologue Ivan Ilyin, who also dreamed of a Russian empire, is completely irrelevant. And Putin deeply despises Europe. He lives in the mindset of a conqueror. However, a conqueror can only be stopped by a strong defender. The Ukrainians recognised this, by 2014 at the latest, and therefore began to prepare for a new escalation from Moscow. In the western part of Europe, no one wanted to believe this, because through European unification we had created the illusion that eternal peace had now broken out. Time was short, and Ukraine is not strong enough to win this war alone. It needs Europe’s help (and that of the USA), and in doing so, it also defends Europe’s freedom.
Diplomacy fails against a despot like Putin. The diplomatic card has been played. There was the EU-Russia dialogue. Channels were still open after Putin’s invasion of Georgia and then Ukraine in 2014. Russian officers were quartered at NATO in Brussels. This could have led to a new European peace order. Vladimir Putin destroyed all of this with his policies. He follows the logic of violence. Therefore, an end to the war can only be achieved by strengthening Ukraine. By a strengthening that enables Ukraine to reconquer its own country.
This can only succeed if Ukraine is immediately equipped with all the military hardware it needs to reconquer its own territory. The faster this happens, the sooner the war will end.
The true warmongers are therefore not those who advocate for massive arms deliveries to Ukraine, but all those in Europe and also in the USA who, through their hesitant behaviour, prolong the war. Regardless of their motive.
Vladimir Putin does not need an embrace. Christoph Leitl, Sebastian Kurz, Heinz Fischer and many others have embraced him often enough. Vladimir Putin needs a trial before a war crimes tribunal.
c Image credit: OSCE
