The Issue: Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine after Vladimir Putin sent in a “military operation” last week.
As a student of history, it is frightening to see the 1930s play out in the 2022 (“Bloody hell,” Feb. 25).
The nations of the West, especially the United States, announced in advance that they wouldn’t interfere with a Russian invasion.
Threatening monetary sanctions may work well on small countries over a period of time, but not on a powerful, well-prepared country led by a brutal dictator.
It hasn’t stopped Iran, North Korea or any of the other sanctioned countries from nefarious pursuits. There are always countries who break sanctions.
Only force, unfortunately, will stop people like Russian President Vladimir Putin. Either you have to physically remove him from power or the scene or you have to confront the aggressor.
There is no ambiguity as to the intentions and goals of this aggressor. He, like his hero Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler have stated their goals. We ignored him at our peril. There is still time if we intervene now.
Samuel Mark
West Hempstead
The West needs to hit Russia where it hurts: the oligarchs.
President Biden’s sanctions, while aggressive, don’t do enough to punish these power brokers.
The oligarchs keep most of their vast fortunes in offshore bank accounts, multimillion-dollar homes, massive art collections and yachts.
The oligarchs have a symbiotic relationship with the Kremlin, and that has worked well for them in the past, allowing these people to amass billions of dollars.
If these oligarchs were to lose most of their foreign assets, they would put massive amounts of pressure on the Kremlin to stop the invasion. This pressure might be enough to end the incursion.
Alex Slen
Clayton, Mo.
My heart goes out to the Ukrainian people. It is a disgrace that their soldiers and citizens are dying at the hands of this 21st-century Hitler.
How many more will die before “sanctions” produce results?
Dennis Zielinski
Lyndhurst, NJ
China and Russia are finding their interests lining up very well.
They will stay out of each other’s way. Iran will gravitate into their camp.
The Ukrainian invasion will prove the first hard frost in an oncoming authoritarian winter.
Zephyr Dorsey
Iowa City
Here’s a way we can punish Putin and make this a victory: Invite Sweden and Finland into NATO. They have shown interest if Ukraine was invaded.
Further, we must treat the war in Ukraine as winnable. Even if cities fall, the country is huge and the population brave.
Turn Ukraine into Putin’s “Spanish ulcer” — the endless Iberian war that helped defeat Napoleon. You don’t win a war unless you think you can win — and act accordingly.
Unfortunately we don’t see any such determination or vision from Biden. He is passive and uninspiring.
We need a Winston Churchill, not a Neville Chamberlain.
David James Trapp
Forest Grove, Ore.
In a world in which the word “hero” is often misused, we are seeing genuine heroes in action as Putin’s senseless slaughter is in the process of destroying Ukraine.
The people of Ukraine and protesters in Russia are boldly and bravely standing up to Putin. Both groups know full well that they risk arrest, injury and death for their courage.
The world is watching the destruction and misery being needlessly inflicted, and there are no effective options to stop it, short of going to war with Russia — something we must not and will not do. Putin’s military escapade is a lose-lose proposition.
Oren Spiegler
Peters Township, Pa.
If the whole world does not get together and stop this madman, it will be 1939 all over again.
He who does not learn from his mistakes will repeat them.
Matthew Galcik
Montauk
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