Gerald J. Beyer

Today's missile attack at a children's hospital in Kyiv pretty much sums things up on all that verbal diarrhea around "negotiations," "peace missions," and Putin's "peace proposals." This was one of the most barbaric and demonstratively deliberate gestures of Russia's war on Ukraine. Russia & Vladimir Putin are not interested in any "peace," "the end of the conflict," or a "compromise." They are interested in Ukraine's unconditional surrender enforced via unlimited civilian terror. They are unable to defeat Ukraine on battlefields (provided that the West stays with Ukraine and keeps sending defense aid, which is very likely); they will seek to escalate their missile attacks from trying to strip Ukraine of electricity and heating to deliberate mass killings of civilians. I am afraid that in the coming months we'll be seeing even more deliberate terror attacks like one from today. Hospitals, shopping malls, large residential buildings, you name it. I'll be more than happy to end up being wrong with this one. I don't know what else needs to be a FINAL WAKE UP CALL to the Western decision-makers still having hope of going the easiest way with what Russia is doing. No, there won't be a moment when Putin says that he's OK with your "territorial compromises on Ukraine" as a result of which he leaves Ukraine alone forever (and you can forget about this annoying headache and continue business as usual). No, you can be vowing before Putin never to accept Ukraine as a NATO member on a daily basis live on TV, but this will not stop him - because it's just about nothing but keeping Ukraine vulnerable and defenseless to a Russian invasion and occupation. No, Putin is not to be reasoned with or traded with because he is not the one looking for peace. He gladly uses your chronic lack of leadership, procrastination, fears, over-compromise, and reluctance to assume responsibilities and make necessary historic decisions.