“Perceptions,” by Gerry Warner

Op-Ed Commentary

So, Canada is now on Vladimir Putin’s “Black List.” Never in my wildest dreams did I dream Canada would be so honoured

In a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Putin’s minions accused Canada and its Western allies of “Russophobic rage” for their temerity in imposing hundreds of economic sanctions on Russia to slow down its murderous onslaught against the greatly outnumbered Ukrainian forces.

“This step is forced and taken in response to the outrageous hostility of the current Canadian regime, which has tested our patience for so long,” said the diplomatic missive in a tacit acknowledgement that the sanctions are hurting Russian efforts to prosecute the war which was supposed to last less than a week but has now passed the third-week mark in the face of ferocious Ukrainian resistance.

As a result, the war has now reached a critical stage where the battered Russian forces have to consider abandoning their original military plan and implementing a different strategy. Practically speaking, two major options exist, both fraught with problems.

The best option would be to offer Putin an “off ramp,” so that he could withdraw his troops without losing face. This might result in a major concession to Russia with Ukraine signing an agreement to never join NATO. This would be a major about-face for Ukraine especially its heroic President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. But if the hated Russia troops would withdraw it would bring peace and bully Putin could claim a token victory, albeit one with a horrific loss of lives and great destruction.

The other option is almost too horrific to contemplate – Putin doubles down and using Russia’s great advantage in soldiers and equipment fights a war of attrition that they would probably win but at a terrible cost that would tear apart the world as we know it and endanger the lives of virtually all of us. If you think I’m kidding, you’re not paying attention.

Think for a moment. Putin obliterates Ukraine and he takes it as a vindication of his Nazi-like strategy. Remember “Lebensraum,” Hitler’s call for more living space to the east which ironically included a big chunk of Russia? In line with this, one can easily envision Putin attacking the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

And who knows? Engorged with military success, the imperialistic Russian leader could even decide to go after Finland again and maybe even Sweden and Poland on his western front. Remember Putin is trying to recreate the “glory” of the former Soviet Union and the kingdom of Czarist Russia. And it seems all he has to do is hint about Russia’s nuclear capacity and the mighty West folds its tents with China eagerly watching with Taiwan in its eyes.

All right, go ahead and call me a warmonger, but let me say this to that. You don’t stop a deranged bully like Putin by playing nice with him and vainly hoping that he’ll be nice in return. Russian soldiers are shooting Ukrainians standing in line for food, sleeping in their beds or being born in maternity hospitals. These are UN defined “War Crimes” and they are happening right now as I write this.

Did you see on TV the nine-month pregnant woman on a stretcher being hauled out of the rescue plane, her bulging stomach covered with blood. Well, she’s dead now and so is her baby. How many times are you prepared to watch atrocities like that before you get off your cowardly butts and do something?

Where’s Churchill when he’s so needed?

Well, as a matter of fact he’s in Ukraine right now but we’re not doing enough to help him. His name is Volodymyr Zelenskyy, president of Ukraine, and when the Americans offered him a flight out of the country to be safe, he replied: “I don’t need a ride. I need ammunition.”

That’s the kind of Churchillian heroism that will save Ukraine along with a NATO- imposed no-fly zone. Anything less won’t do.

– Gerry Warner is a retired journalist of Ukrainian descent, who believes Putin isn’t the only world leader that can make nuclear threats.

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