At 1:55 AM in the early morning of February 24th, 2022, Vladimir Putin declared war on the sovereign nation of Ukraine. In doing so, he has dragged the European continent back into a time many had thought past — a time where insecure and subhuman monsters impress innocent men and women into wars with no justification other than pretensions of greatness. With the flimsiest of diplomatic smokescreens as justification, one man has decreed the death of millions of Russians and Ukrainians.
There ought to be no uncertainty that Putin is solely at fault for this war in Ukraine. Those who point to the expansion of NATO as being a “provocation” that forced Russia’s hand are deluding themselves. For one, sovereign nations have the right to determine how they wish to participate in what treaties or organizations. The U.S. did not “expand” NATO; Eastern European nations freely joined in order to protect themselves from their belligerent neighbor in the East. NATO is a defensive treaty: there is no provision for joint wars of aggression. Russia had no reason to fear the admission of additional nations into a defensive alliance unless its aim was conquest.
As a matter of history, Putin’s claims that Ukraine is not a legitimate state are nonsensical. Putin argues that the modern Ukrainian state only exists due to the crumbling of the Soviet Union under Mikail Gorbachov, which “gave” Ukraine its independence. In fact, Ukraine’s independence came from a 1991 referendum, in which the Ukrainian people voted resoundingly for their freedom from the evil Soviet empire. It is this same freedom that Putin is trying to wrest from them today.
This is no mere “peacemaking” operation in the east of Ukraine, as Putin has described. Russian forces have moved across the border in the north of Ukraine, moving straight towards Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv. Putin’s objective is nothing short of the destruction of Ukrainian democracy and independence – regardless of his empty rhetoric.
This is not a moment for Americans to point fingers, score political points, or posit “what if’s” about how this could have been prevented. This is a moment to acknowledge the unadulterated evil of what is occurring in Ukraine. This is a moment to pray for our President and all world leaders, that they will respond to this crisis with wisdom, courage, and honor. This is a moment to pray for Ukrainian service members, that the Lord would give them courage and inner peace as they risk their lives standing in the face of tyranny and injustice. This is a moment to pray for civilians of all nations, that they will be sheltered from needless death and suffering.
Most of all, this is a time to pray for peace. The Lord has said to us in Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Today we must pray for the peacemakers in Ukraine and in Russia, and that by the power of God they might cease this senseless war. In the days ahead, when Putin is rightfully deposed and there is a new tyrant threatening to once again drag the world back into war, may we remember this moment and may we be the peacemakers that can prevent this day from happening again.
Micah 4:1-4 (KJV)
1But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 3And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 4But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.
The views and opinions expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the values and beliefs of Cogitare Magazine, nor of Grove City College.
