Vladimir Putin

When we bandy about “war crimes,” “assassination,” and other terms, we ought to consider what we are talking about and, if appropriate, what the available mechanisms for justice are.

In an age when the word hero is conflated with and attached to movie stars and athletes and people who risk nothing of consequence, it’s bracing to watch—even from afar—true heroes and true heroism in action.

Mass moral atrocities and genocidal tendencies have not lessened with the supposed end of the Cold War. If anything, they have increased.

As the world turns its attention to Ukraine, the important but often neglected issue of Orthodox Christian geopolitics has received renewed interest from Western media.

Whatever Putin’s eventual demise, we will gratefully pray, Thy will be done.

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

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.

To prevent wars from spiraling out of control, an off-ramp is essential. Allowing Vladimir Putin to save face can save lives.