The Invasion Of Ukraine Is Putin’s War Not Russia’s

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Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 01:47 pm

There has never been a war between two democracies. It would seem as though, that when people represent themselves through a government of the people, and leaders have terms, leaders never equate themselves with the state, which is what made Trump so dangerous. On China, Trump said, “They were so nice to me.” It is almost impossible for one nation’s people as a whole, to hate another, as a whole, and thus there is no such concept as a war between democracies. Obviously, that doesn’t mean that a democracy will not declare war on a dictator or vice versa.

No, late last night, early morning in Ukraine, Putin, and Putin alone, ordered Russian forces into Ukraine.

At one point, when Putin was first elected, Russia seemed destined for democracy itself, Gorbachov, Yeltsin, Putin… Putin was elected in a relatively clean election and then slowly began to do away with this democracy stuff. Medvedev was a four-year placeholder and everyone knew it, Obama once asked Medvedev to get a message to “President Putin.” And then Putin again, who had the Russian constitution changed such that it allows him to be president for life so long as he’s… reelected. They hold elections in Russia, they simply don’t mean anything, a lesson the United States would do well to keep in mind. Putin is the leader for life. This is Putin’s war.

Putin has three to four reasons to invade Ukraine, one of which is that he cannot have a viable, new, strengthening, democracy right on his southern border. Democracy, so close to home, represents as big a threat to Putin as the United States military. Ukraine also allows the most paranoid country on Earth, Russia, access to blue water ports through the Black Sea, something a relatively landlocked country treasures. Vanity is playing a role, Putin wants to return to the glory days of the Soviet Union. But have no doubt, this is Putin, not Russia’s, war.

Updates, via Politico and MSNBC Live

First, an MSNBC report occurring as this sentence is written, is taking place from a city twenty miles from the border and it is dead silent, the streets empty. It is possible that, for strategic reasons, Ukraine will not oppose the invasion itself, but that leads to full military occupation, one of the hardest war results to return back to normal.

Biden’s statement:

“President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering. Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable.”

And yet right now there is no indication that the Ukrainian military plans a massive defensive counterattack. It is possible that Zelensky, weighing the options, has determined that he will preserve Ukrainian lives (and his military), and hope that international pressure defends Ukraine.

Possible Broadening of War:

Biden has promised that no American troops will be involved in the fight for Ukraine, but if the war spills into Latvia or another NATO country, America is obligated to come to their defense.

There is no indication that Putin wants to test NATO’s resolve. One of Putin’s goals, according to Politico, is to weaken NATO. If anything, it has strengthened NATO, renewing its energy, reminding it as to why it exists, solidifying its resolve.

From an American Point of View, Some Unity:

The ranking GOP members of the House Foreign Affairs, Armed Services and Intelligence committees released a statement that was free of casting any blame on Biden:

“The last few hours have laid bare for the world to witness the true evil that is Vladimir Putin,” said Reps. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-Texas), MIKE ROGERS (R-Ala.) and MIKE TURNER (R-Ohio). “Today, we stand resolute with the Ukrainian people and resolve to provide them with the tools they need to withstand and repel this unprovoked attack. Every drop of Ukrainian and Russian blood spilled in this conflict is on Putin’s hands, and his alone.”

And so it stands. It was always clear that if Putin resolved to invade Ukraine he would succeed, the question was the loss of life and critical infrastructure. Given the lack of a fierce defense, so far, Zelensky might be making a shrewd move, keeping his trained military alive, along with saving the lives of countless civilians, hoping that crippling sanctions imposed by the rest of the world will eventually dissuade Russia, while also keeping Ukraine’s infrastructure mostly intact, it may be Zelensky that is making the smarter move.

We know he is not alone. He leads a democracy and democracies tend to protect each other.

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Jason Miciak

@JasonMiciak believes a day without learning is a day not lived. He is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teen and college years in the Pacific Northwest and has since lived in seven states. He now enjoys life as a single dad of a young girl, writing from the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He loves crafting his flower pots, cooking, and currently studies philosophy of science, religion, and non-math principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. Please feel free to contact with any concerns.