H attacked by drones, dozens of rockets, four thermal power plants destroyed, hundreds of thousands of people once again cut off from heating and heating – This is the result of the new Russian air strikes on Ukraine on Tuesday night. Even as Donald Trump once again boasted that he had persuaded Vladimir Putin to stop his attacks, the Russian president unleashed his toughest attack of the year so far – on the coldest winter night yet. These are not just “attacks on energy infrastructure.” It is systematic terror against the population.
Russia’s partial ceasefire agreed between Trump and Putin turns out to be just a breather during which Putin was able to rearrange his weapons. Even mass murderers need to rest from time to time so that they can strike again with renewed strength.
And it is of course a familiar game to escalate militarily, especially during an ongoing peace process – the trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the USA are scheduled to continue on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi. “Talk and Fight” is what this means in international diplomacy; “Reducing Ukraine’s scope for decision-making,” the Kremlin calls it.
In Ukraine The horror evokes other associations, such as the Holodomor genocide of the 1930swhen Stalin deliberately starved Ukraine. Back then, people didn’t die because they were directly murdered, but because they starved. Today they die not because they are directly bombed, but because they freeze to death.
The European public is currently turning a blind eye to this. Maybe to hide the unpleasant consequences for yourself. Because you can’t actually stand by and do nothing. Anyone who is interested in peace for Ukraine must now help it, and in a different dimension than before. Civilian construction teams are needed across the board, a massive increase in Ukrainian air defense and consistent action against the “shadow fleet” that transports Russian oil all over the world in order to generate the money with which Russia continually replenishes its armaments stocks.
Ultimately, if Europe takes its own values seriously, it cannot rule out targeted strikes against the locations where Russian missiles and drones are stationed. Europe has already agreed to act militarily in the future if Russia breaks a future Ukraine peace agreement. So it must also be prepared to act now to end Russian terror now.