More War Crimes Uncovered

Does the war need to 'escalate' before it can end?

More horror stories are revealed each day as survivors tell the world what the Russians did when they occupied their towns and villages. People have been found tortured, with their fingers broken, and then shot in the head execution style. There are as we anticipated more stories of rape—girls who are now pregnant, grandmothers, and even young boys. Their family members were made to watch, either tied up or at gunpoint, and yet we were aware that these horrors would happen because they do in all wars. That is why the international community urged NATO to act immediately to prevent these tragic events. If they had moved in within 48 hours, Mariupol may still be standing, and Bucha would have remained a town that no one would associate with genocide.

We must repeat these atrocities to make the powers that twiddle their thumbs accountable. While it was not their fault (the blame falls on the Russians), they did have the means to prevent such tragedies, but chose to wait and see first and this blood is on their hands.

If you watch war movies or read history books on wars, then this is familiar territory and the fault lies not in the country being attacked, but the allies who dither about how much they want to get involved, and when to help. That is why NATO was set up, so countries could automatically help each other out without having to negotiate like Churchill had to. However, it seems that the NATO vision hasn’t worked out because we have seen Poland wanting to give aircraft via the US airbase after the US said they would consider it if NATO agreed.

We then had the US stating they would not provide any lethal weaponry because that could lead to an escalation of war. Note that was the US and not NATO, and so other countries have ignored NATO and gone ahead to deliver weapons to Ukraine. The Czech Republic and Slovakia have done so, which makes the US now look a little, let us say stupid because they have done what the US says they can’t do because it risks escalation. It is also noteworthy that Slovakia and the Czech Republic are states that are fully aware of the perils of the Russian army, and it is the Baltic and Eastern states that are being proactive. The UK has also pledged a number armoured vehicles to be delivered to Ukraine, so the US can’t hide behind the NATO position that they won’t supply lethal weapons as it will be seen as an act of aggression that will lead to escalation. Basically, it took one of the big names in the NATO alliance to have the guts to do what should have been done 6 weeks ago. Other countries no longer have an excuse not to gift weapons to Ukraine.

Frank Gardner has written an easy to read and understand piece on how escalation may occur https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61051307

My belief is that the war must escalate before it can have a definitive end. Putin has been watching the West for years and has planned this, and he will not give up. In the past, countries have had to concede land to Russia or the aggressor country (where Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Finland have all given up land to get the Russians to stop killing their people), and here, the target is the Donbas region and Crimea where Russians have had a presence since 2014. Why didn’t NATO get involved then, or the UN send peacekeeping troops?

At the time, the Ukrainian government was corrupt and there was no Zelenskyy fighting for Ukraine, and so little was done, where the UN and NATO adopted a ‘wait and see approach’ and were caught napping. If there is a deal to ‘lose’ part of Ukrainian territory to Russia, then people will point the finger at Zelenskyy for all the deaths that have happened. These people didn't die to give up land to Russia—they died to fight to stay free.

Why would anyone believe that the Russians/Putin would stop at Donbas and Crimea? The Russians have already stated that they believe that they are entitled to take back Ukraine, as it illegally left the USSR, and that it is not an invasion when they are saving Ukrainians from the pro-Ukrainians who are deemed Nazis.

We may have to face the distinct possibility that Mariupol will fall to the Russians. I don’t want that—no one does, but should that happen, then the Russians will carry on until they reach Odesa. That will be the entire south coast under Russian control, and that would be dangerous for Europe as well as Ukraine. The UK’s move to deliver more weapons may open the door for other countries to be more proactive, while NATO really needs to catch up, or disband and reform for this transformation is too slow and is is not reactive to crisis situations. NATO is simply not fit for purpose if countries have to go ‘rogue’ to do the right and moral thing. The Czech Republic delivered tanks, and NATO did not go up in flames, and the UK is delivering armoured vehicles and NATO can’t stop them either. Has no one learnt the lessons from the past? A wait and see approach always leads to deaths that are preventable, and the useless UN doesn’t seem to have been able to prevent the war either. It’s back to each country having to do the right thing now, and to set an example for others to follow.

Day 46 (10 April)

• Japan is expelling a number of Russian diplomats.

• The Austrian Chancellor, Karl Nehammer is to visit Moscow to talk to Putin to ‘encourage’ dialogue. While I don’t see that it will make much difference to Putin, what it does show is that ‘neutrality’ doesn’t mean you can ignore genocide.

• Dnipro airport has been attacked by the Russians again.

• Reports claim that Russian soldiers have taken radioactive substances that could kill them. This continues from reports that some soldiers have been ill due to digging in radioactive areas and being unaware of the dangers. There are suggestions that they may die from this without knowing they are ill.

• Nine, rather than ten humanitarian corridors were supposed to have been opened today for evacuation, but reports claim some were still being attacked. The Red Cross said they were unable to reach Mariupol again.

• NATO has stated via Stoltenbeg that the war has forced NATO to transform itself, and that NATO is planning a permanent defensive border to deter future Russian attacks. However, he states that in order to do this, all member countries must pay the minimum 2% of their GDP. I am highly critical of NATO, for this defensive action should have been taken back in October 2021, when US intelligence predicted that there would be a Russian attack. Isn’t the defensive line about 4 months late, and what’s this talk of preventing future Russian attacks—there is a major one going on right now and if NATO doesn’t help then there may not be a need to prevent future attacks if Ukraine falls. One can only shake their head at the idiocy of NATO at times. Good luck trying to get any money out if Hungary, now that their EU funding has been suspended.

• Russia is looking to recruit troops who have been discharged, and also to recruit from Transnistria in Moldova, an unrecognised breakaway region that is pro-Russian that lies between Ukraine and Moldova.

• The EU has reopened its embassy in Kyiv.

• There have been more prisoner exchanges, which includes civilians.

• Imran Khan has been ousted as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He claims the vote of no confidence is a conspiracy because he would not back the US position on Ukraine. This may make a difference because Russia was relying on trade and support from Pakistan, and a change of government may alter that.

• Putin and Lukashenko (President of Belarus) are to meet on 12 April to discuss the war in Ukraine. Belarus is pro-Russian and is a client state of Russia.

  

• More students are turning in their teachers who do not promote the Russian position on the war.