Since the time Vladimir Putin opted to invade Ukraine in February 2022, two camps have emerged in Europe, the continent most affected by the war. A “Peace” camp that wants the war to end as soon as possible, and a “Justice” camp that believes the more important goal is to punish Russia.
Such division, unfortunately, creates an illusion of a binary choice: you can try for either peace or justice. This is a fallacy. Peace is as essential to human life as air, food, and water. The alternative to peace, as shown in Ukraine, is deaths, destruction, rapes, torture, chronic fear, living in freezing conditions, loss of hygiene, civilians losing limbs, kidnapped children, and broken families. In thousands already and eventually in millions.
If your child is kidnapped, would you try first to carry out negotiations with the kidnappers to recover the child? Or would you start talking about punishment for the kidnappers before your child returns to you? Ukraine has currently been taken hostage by Putin’s regime to emphatically push forward Russia’s security demands. A hostage-taker’s demands can be reasonable or imagined. Never a good idea to dismiss them, particularly when the hostage-taker possesses nearly 6,000 nuclear weapons.
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And justice for whom? Usama Bin Laden executed a spectacular terrorist attack on American soil, killing almost 3,000 Americans, destroying iconic towers in Manhattan, and damaging the Pentagon complex. The USA decided to deliver justice. George Bush announced a war on an emotion.
In the next few years, this war cost $8 trillion and caused 900,000 direct deaths. (Several more because of water loss, sewage and infrastructural issues, war-related diseases). At least 37 million people were displaced. Finally, in 2011, US Seals launched a heroic attack in the night to kill Usama hiding in Pakistan. Justice was delivered.
In the process of that justice deliverance, 380,000 civilians were killed by the US and allies. What justice was delivered to their families? The news that Usama was dead?
This was merely a case of revenge, not justice. The euphoric announcement of Bin Laden’s death did not include the stats about the colossal collateral damage.
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Today’s Justice Camp thinking is similar. People in that camp would like to see Vladimir Putin behind bars, tried as a war criminal. That is considered as the only goal to guarantee long-term peace.
There is talk of punishing Russia by isolating it. But millions of Russians don’t support the war. Hundreds of thousands of young Russian males have fled Russia to dodge the draft. Any criticism, even calling it a war, can land a Russian into prison for 15 years. Putin’s regime has become so repressive, it is difficult to imagine what ordinary Russians can do to end it. Essentially, the “justice” sought is about “punishing” Putin and his associates.
This is the same mistake as attempting revenge against Usama Bin Laden at all costs. With Vladimir Putin, the collateral damage will be far worse. He is still the president of a nuclear state, head of a resource-rich nation, in charge of Russia’s weapon producing complex, and willing to sacrifice millions of Russians to achieve his war goals.
Imagine what would have happened if Usama Bin Laden had 6,000 nuclear weapons. Would America have opted for a war on terror?
Why carry out such a dangerous experiment now? If the war goes on for ten years, as it easily can, who from the justice camp is accountable for the worldwide damage? In ten years, Ukraine would be so wrecked that prosperity may become unachievable and freedom meaningless.
The obsession with justice (Putin behind bars) must be weighed against the overall destruction. Peace or Justice can’t be a choice. What is needed is a “Peace Treaty” that is “Just” to all sides involved.
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Ravi
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