War

Shame on us if we do not act to deter what amount to escalating war crimes by Russia in Ukraine.

Before taking a look at justice, let’s take a step back and consider the explicitly Christian foundations for thinking about political order.

Marc LiVecche and Rebeccah Heinrichs discuss the war in Ukraine, the intersection of just war reasoning and the facts on the ground, future options against Putin, how best to assist President Zelensky and his brave compatriots, and the question of regaining escalatory dominance against the Russian regime.

Once again, public opinion polls have disappointed isolationists and others who want the United States to have a minimalist foreign policy. Almost overnight, a large swath of America now wants to counter Russia, and elected officials who want to keep their jobs have responded.

The Free World needs to rediscover its identity and its confidence as a global force for good, with lower thresholds for taking decisive, unified action, and greater attentiveness to “canary violations” like those against religious freedom.

The jus post bellum (the ethics of ending war and building peace) categories of order, justice, and conciliation can help us think through how the war in Ukraine should end.

Matthew Kroenig discussed the Ukraine crisis as it relates to great power rivalry, among other topics.

Now is the time for us to show Russia what kind of country America is. We can show the Russians and the world by sending our naval hospitals USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy to Odessa. We can provide humanitarian help the Ukrainians desperately need.

This week the editors discuss Alan Dowd’s suggestion for offering Putin an off-ramp, Mike Watson’s article about the value of America’s empire of nations, and Mark Tooley’s comparison of Christian realism with cynicism and idealism.