It defies belief, but it has finally happened. After a buildup over several weeks that Western leaders hoped against hope was a bluff, President Vladimir Putin has launched a full-scale war on the European continent on the flimsiest of pretexts. |
The magnitude of this crime in Ukraine is stunning. Whatever Mr. Putin's grievances over Western encroachment on what he perceives as Russia's sphere of influence, whatever his ideas on how Ukraine should relate to Russia, whatever his views on Russia's place in Europe and the world, an unprovoked invasion of a sovereign state in the 21st century is madness. |
President Biden and America's NATO allies have properly forsworn going to war with Russia, so Ukraine, far weaker militarily than Russia, will have to bear the brunt of the attack alone. We grieve for the Ukrainians who will suffer devastation, bloodshed and death for nothing more than seeking to move closer to the democratic West. |
"Images of what is taking place inside Ukraine should reach the world," Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, writes for Opinion, "leaving no doubt about the toll in innocent lives caused by Mr. Putin's adventurism." |
As our editorial today details, the United States and its allies and partners should immediately move to punish Mr. Putin swiftly and with every means at their disposal. But just what comes after that remains to be seen, particularly for the world's economy. |
Here's what we're focusing on today: |
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