800-lb Russian Gorilla in the Room

Despite the mounting evidence that Russia planned, launched and is reinforcing the invasion of Ukraine that led to the annexation of Crimea and a bloody, prolonged ground war in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has had the audacity to look the world straight in its eyes and deny complicity, saying “not me.”

Why do the United States, the European Union and other world leaders accept his arrogance? Despite global and regional governmental, non-governmental and commercial arrangements that seek to maintain peace, welfare, stability and security, Putin and Russia continue to do what they please, without consideration for the spirit or letter of the law, without taking into account others’ points of view, and with total impunity?

Why does the non-Russian world tolerate and cringe in the presence of Russia?

The United States today again confirmed that Russia in fact launched an invasion of Ukraine.

“While Russia says it seeks peace, its actions do not match its rhetoric. We have no evidence that Russia’s support for the separatists has ceased. In fact, we assess that Russia continues to provide them with heavy weapons, other military equipment and financing, and continues to allow militants to enter Ukraine freely. Russia denies this, just as it denied its forces were involved in Crimea – until after the fact. Russia has refused to call for the separatists to lay down their arms, and continues to mass its troops along the Ukrainian border. Many self-proclaimed ‘leaders’ of the separatists hail from Russia and have ties to the Russian government. This all paints a telling picture of Russia’s continued policy of destabilization in eastern Ukraine,” read the State Department’s statement.

The US cited a range of facts substantiating its claim, including columns of tanks, armored vehicles and heavy artillery that have been seen crossing into Ukraine from Russia.

“This timeline of events leading to, during, and after the unilateral Ukraine ceasefire illustrates how the good-faith efforts of the Ukraine government and European leaders to broker a ceasefire with Russia and the separatists it backs have been rejected. Russia and the separatists they are supporting continued to destabilize Ukraine throughout the ceasefire, and continue to destabilize Ukraine today,” the State Department said in its fact sheet.

Noting President Poroshenko’s unilateral truce and Russia’s rejection of it, the US government concluded: “As General Philip Breedlove, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, stated on July 1: ‘The cease fire in Ukraine was not ended because of accusations; it was ended because Russian-backed separatists responded with violence while President Poroshenko tried to open a window for peace. Russia’s commitment to peace will be judged by its actions, not its words.’ As the United States and our European allies have repeatedly stated, we call on the Russian government to halt its material support for the separatists, to use its influence with the separatists to push them to lay down their arms and abide by a ceasefire and to release all hostages. Only then can the process of bringing peace to Ukraine truly begin.”

This dangerous situation is compounded by the Ukrainian government’s alert today that a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine is imminent.

“Ukraine, like never before, stands on the cusp of a wide-scale aggression from our current northern border,” said National Security and Defence Council Deputy Secretary Mykhaylo Koval, according to the AFP.

Koval said the Kremlin mobilized 22,000 troops in the annexed Black Sea peninsula of Crimea and had other units stretching from the north-central region of Chernihiv to the southeastern edge of the Russian-Ukrainian border on the Sea of Azov. His claim has been corroborated by NATO and news agencies.

Other news media reported that fighting in the affected areas of Ukraine has intensified.

The Wall Street Journal quoted Breedlove as warning, “We see again a presence on the Ukrainian border by large Russian formations. Those formations are growing every day and their capability grows every day, and that is concerning.”

And in the meantime, the US and EU are dithering with their appropriate, crippling, punitive sanctions against official Russia that would hopefully bring the Russian silent majority to its feet and oust its obnoxious, deceitful dictator.

Otherwise, the global community will not be safe with this 800-lb Russian gorilla in the room.