Eugene Czolij: When will Russia’s genocidal war end?

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in our op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent.

Over the last year, numerous political pundits have opined on various aspects of Russia’s genocidal war against Ukraine, including on the critical question of when it will end.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has already caused an enormous humanitarian crisis, disrupted the global economy, and constitutes today's most serious threat to international security and stability.

On Jan. 3, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal pointed out in an eye-opening manner that this question is not purely rhetorical when he stated during a government session that at the beginning of June 2022 the damages caused by Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine were estimated at $350 billion USD and that this figure has now doubled and surpasses $700 billion USD.

Notwithstanding this incredible devastation, the resolve of the Ukrainian people to defend their country has only strengthened, and it has become clear that Ukraine will ultimately restore its internationally recognized 1991 borders.

However, the longer this vicious war continues, the exponentially higher the human and economic costs will be, the deadly Russian missile attack on a residential building in Dnipro on Jan. 14 being another demonstration of this.

Russia’s unprovoked war would end if Putin came to his senses, which is highly unlikely as his delusional state seems irreversible.

This leaves only one viable option to end this blatant violation of international law of genocidal proportion and worldwide crisis in the near future, namely for NATO member countries, starting with the United States, to stop their unjustified procrastination and send Ukraine all the weapons it actually needs to regain and protect its territorial integrity.

Throughout 2022, NATO member countries cautiously and gradually provided Ukraine with increasingly better military support that was nevertheless knowingly insufficient – both in quantity and substance – to end this war and imminent threat to all Western countries.

There is a provoking proverb that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. To bypass this perilous road, Western leaders should now convert all their good intentions into a tangible political will to provide Ukraine, without further delay all the necessary weapons to end this war and thereby ensure peace, security and stability in the world.

As defense leaders from about 50 countries in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group prepare for the Ramstein-8 meeting on Jan. 20, 2023, this is not only possible but imperative for our collective well-being.