Ukraine War: Putin needs to be tried for war crimes, not patted on the head

Marco Rubio complained on the weekend that the US has tried for a week to get their message across to Ukrainian officials, that because Trump promised an end to the war during the election campaign, it was their priority to get a deal done. Even today Trump loyalists are ramping up pressure on Zelenskyy to either change his approach or step down as the Ukranian President. 

I listen to Rubio, Vance and Trump speak in this way and I wonder if any of them realize the war in Ukraine has nothing to do with them. They have no real skin in the game except for good will of Joe Biden and very thankful Ukrainian people, who I am sure, would have welcomed Americans with open arms at the end of the war had they not just done a 180 degree about-turn. 

Ukraine is fighting for their life against a brutal aggressor. This isn’t “Let’s Make a Deal” with everyone wearing fancy suits and shiny shoes.  It’s real people in life and death situations. While the sentiment of ending the war is welcome, any result that doesn’t include Vladimir Putin in chains and on trial for war crimes is unacceptable. 

Conversely, the Trump regime thinks re-establishing trade and letting Russia rejoin the G8 is of high importance.  But, this is the problem, Trump’s team thinks their priorities are more important than the people actually fighting the war. And that, is not only delusional but the epitome of Narcissism.

We learned in WWII that the appeasement of dictators and tyrants doesn’t work. That was less than a 100 years ago. Why would we make the same mistake now? It doesn’t make sense.  Trump’s approach is detached from reality and any sense of morality.

Why would we just ignore everything that’s happened—the raping of women, the torture and mutilation of prisoners of war, the kidnapping and brainwashing of children, hundreds of thousands dead on both sides. All in order to restart a trade relationship with a second, recently turned third world country?

It’s not what a leader who believes in democracy and justice would do, and it doesn’t make a lot of sense from any perspective including trade. Whatever Russia has to offer will always be available for trade, regardless of the outcome of the war. In fact, it will be cheaper to buy the more desperate Russia becomes.

Unfortunately, Putin is unlikely to agree to anything acceptable to Ukraine and the democratic West.  If we want real peace, it’s going to have to be as it always is with tyrants—made at the end of a gun barrel.