Dear Editor,

Back in the 1930s, Japan invaded Korea and Manchuria. It had aspirations of expansion across the Orient. This was naked aggression against independent nations. The world was stuck. How to stop this without going to war? World War I, “the war to end all wars,” had ended less than twenty years before, and the world was weary of war.

The Treaty of Versailles established a League of Nations to help settle international disputes. Although it was proposed by US President Wilson, the US ultimately did not join. This lack of unity hurt the response and the League could not stop the Japanese expansion. It couldn’t enforce its will. Once Japan realized that it could take portions of northern China without any repercussions, they began to invade China itself. Thus began the Sino-Japanese War and the build up to World War II.

We have a similar situation today in Ukraine. How to stop Vladamir Putin’s naked aggression, invading a sovereign nation that had rejected his overtures to come into the Soviet block of nations? These are people who just want to live in peace and choose their own manner of governing. There is no justification for this invasion.

The sanctions are strong that the US and its NATO allies have imposed on Russia. Putin lies to his people and has not told them the true nature of this war. He has made it a crime to write about the “invasion,” thus shutting down all independent news sources in Russia. He has jailed his political opponents and poisoned critics. Shutting down the Russian economy is one way of putting pressure on the Russian people to pressure Putin himself. These sanctions could be increased if the US cut off purchase of Russian oil, note: for the US only. By the time this comes to print, it may have already happened. I know part of the calculus for whether to cut off Russian imports of oil is the probability that gas prices would rise in the US, which are already at near record levels. I say, let them. If that is one small thing that I can do, and that we as Americans can do, to stand up for the innocent Ukrainians who are being bombed out of their homes. I’ll pay gladly.

Putin is a thug. He used barrel bombs in the rebel held parts of Syria to kill civilians, in league with his fellow war criminal, Bashir Al Assad, the Syrian president. They repeatedly bombed hospitals, civilians, anything in order to terrorize the civilians. Assad has tortured thousands and their poked-out eyes were a sad episode of 60 Minutes.

Since the ground offensive has stalled in some areas of Ukraine, Putin has increased the indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets. Putin has gambled on toppling the government in Ukraine. I hope this turns into a quagmire for Russia similar to what Afghanistan proved for both Russia and the US.

I appreciate President Biden’s clarity that the US and NATO will not directly engage in war with Russia. At the same time, the NATO response has been outstanding, and the alliance has never been stronger. NATO was the target of many of Trump’s criticisms when he was president, and he recklessly praised Putin as being “smart” and “savvy.” Make no mistake, Putin is dangerous, and Trump is, as usual, on the wrong side of history.

Like Japan in the 30s, or Hitler too, Putin has a lust for control of land, oil, seaports on the Black Sea, newly discovered oil reserves, etc. He sees a functioning democratic country as a threat to his autocratic ways. This is a moment like the 1930s where the free world is called to action. Is our will as strong as the Ukrainian people? They deserve nothing less.

Bill Thibedeau

Gilpin County