This was published 2 years ago
Editorial
Putin has proved to be as evil as we always feared
The fog of war has descended on Ukraine but the moral fog of the past few months has finally dissipated.
Back in October, when Russian dictator Vladimir Putin started to threaten his smaller neighbour with his armies, it seemed reasonable to hope he would act rationally.
While Mr Putin had always employed brutal methods going back to the war he started in Chechnya in 1999, a Machiavellian shrewdness restrained him in pursuing his agenda of rebuilding Russian power and keeping the countries of the former Soviet Union in Russia’s sphere of influence.
There was always diplomatic cover for his violence which made it difficult for democracies to dismiss his grievances out of hand. It seemed worth at least trying to talk to him.
Yet as cruise missiles and air strikes rain down on historic Ukrainian cities such as Kyiv and Kharkiv and Russian troops surge across Ukraine’s border, it is clear that Mr Putin has morphed from a calculating strongman into an irrational sociopath. Perhaps that was always his true nature.
The attack on Ukraine is, to quote US President Joe Biden “unprovoked” and “unjustified”, inspired by paranoia and lies. In a rambling speech announcing what he called the “special military operation” against Ukraine, Mr Putin said his goal was to “deNazify” Ukraine which he claimed posed a mortal threat to Russia. Orwell could not have made it up. In reality, Mr Putin wants to depose Ukraine’s democratically elected Jewish President Volodymyr Zelensky.
His lies are echoed by Russian television with a daily diet of fake news about fictional atrocities against ethnic Russians in Ukraine and phantom sabotage inside Russia.
While Mr Putin’s criminal intent is now plain for all to see, the outcome of this war is still obscured by haze. It could last days or decades.
It is not clear whether Mr Putin plans to occupy the entire territory of Ukraine and destroy it as a country or just a part of it. It is not clear just what opposition the small and lightly equipped Ukrainian army can offer to Mr Putin’s troops. There is a chance that the oppressed Russian people may yet bridle at this madman’s gamble because war will be as damaging to Russia as it is to Ukraine. Or it is possible that Ukraine collapses into anarchy.
What is already crystal clear, however, is that democratic countries must take all gloves off in demanding a Russian withdrawal and defending the legitimate Ukrainian government.
Mr Biden has done a good job so far in building a strong diplomatic coalition against Mr Putin. Australia has played its limited part this week by announcing more sanctions. But the US and its allies must now dial up sanctions to 11.
Russia and its henchman Belarus must be frozen completely out of financial markets and denied advanced western technology for any potential military uses. Europe must in the shortest possible time wean itself off Russian gas. Mr Putin and his gang of oligarchs must be made to pay.
Democratic countries must also take some hard decisions about providing financial and military aid to Ukraine. Backed up by his nuclear arsenal, Mr Putin warned of “consequences” to third countries which get involved. But if the democratic world fails to stand strong it will be noticed in Beijing and send a green light to aggressors elsewhere. China should condemn Russia’s unprovoked aggression if it is serious about its much advertised policy of non-interference in other countries’ affairs.
This is an event of global significance which will take years to play out. In a world of pandemic and climate change, it shows that democratic governments cannot discount the old nightmare of military aggression. Bringing Mr Putin into line will be risky, expensive and divisive but democratic countries must stay the course.
Bevan Shields sends an exclusive newsletter to subscribers each week. Sign up to receive his Note from the Editor.