Russia-Ukraine Conflict in a Nutshell

A diplomatic solution seems to be closing rapidly.

Map: Google; BBC

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA.) - Vladimir Putin’s aggression toward Ukraine took an ominous turn on Monday when he recognized the independence of the breakaway Ukrainian enclaves of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics and ordered Russian troops into them as “peacekeepers.”

No matter what Putin calls it, when you send troops into another country without its permission, that’s an invasion.

The introduction of troops to these breakaway enclaves could be the prologue for further attacks on Ukraine with the sovereignty of Ukraine and the loss of thousands of lives at stake.

The U.S. has already imposed some sanctions against Russia, and Germany has halted the certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline designed to bring natural gas from Russia directly to Europe. But is it time for the full weight of sanctions threatened by the United States and NATO? Or should the U.S. and NATO hold back on some of the sanctions in hopes that a full invasion will be less likely?

A wary patience at this point is not the same as appeasement. But a diplomatic solution seems to be closing rapidly and if the threatened sanctions are then not imposed, that would be appeasement.

In addition, the Russia-Ukraine situation is a major test for President Biden, who has made the defense of democracy a cornerstone of his administration.