Guest Essay: Defending Ukrainian Sovereignty is an International Imperative
Accountability for the war in Ukraine should be held only by Russia.
(More than 400 members of the NYU community convened at the steps of the Kimmel Center for University Life to participate in a vigil for Ukraine. | Joshua Becker via Washington Square News)
New York City, NY — by Lincoln Dow
This story was originally published on New York University’s Washington Square News.
In a recent essay for WSN, Karsten Stoeber of NYU’s International Youth and Students for Social Equality chapter characterized Russia’s war in Ukraine as provoked and maintained by the United States and NATO. This narrative is not only demonstrably inaccurate, but profoundly harmful to Ukrainians.
The singular actor responsible for the immense suffering in Ukraine is Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose invasion must be called what it is: an unprovoked war of aggression with the objective of conquering a sovereign nation. Despite Russian propaganda to the contrary, this war cannot be justified as anything other than an effort to seize Ukrainian land and depose its democratically elected government, in flagrant violation of international law. Despite Putin’s baseless belief that Ukraine historically belongs and must return to a greater united Russia, Ukrainians hold a resoundingly negative attitude toward the country. They have demonstrated their resolve to live freely in their steadfast, formidable fight against the invasion.
Russia’s war is also not in any way defensive. Ukraine poses no threat to Russia and has no ambitions of expanding its territory. Its population, geography, economy and military all pale in comparison to those of Russia.
Read the rest of the story at Washington Square News.