Ukraine And A Madman’s Vision Of Conquest

The world watches in horror as a madman and his army, in an unprovoked attack, unleashes hellfire, death, and destruction on innocent men, women, children, and their homeland.

The world’s attention is directed toward the war in Ukraine. We are witnessing in real-time the death of innocent men, women, and children, and the destruction of their homeland by a tyrannical madman, Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader is a brutal demagogue whose need is to expand the boundaries of his country, and in his delusional and ruthless mind restore it to its former glory, through the conquest of a neighboring nation. But this unprovoked invasion also proves one other thing, and that is that in the minds of the depraved, power-hungry, and godless, life is a cheap commodity.

Images of this humanitarian disaster, and devastation of Ukraine, I believe will be etched in our minds for years to come. Homes, apartment buildings, and hospitals shredded and torn apart by fire-breathing weapons of destruction that rained down from the sky, leaving neighborhoods in ruin, and causing utility and power failures. The face of one apartment building ripped away exposing the now tattered rooms where once families lived, laughed, and loved.

One of the more heart-wrenching and gory scenes was that of a young mother and her two children lying dead in the street littered with debris, the victims of a Russian missile attack that shattered a nearby building as they were trying to escape the madness. There was an aerial bombing of a maternity hospital filled with expectant mothers, which was destroyed. Another of the images out of the war zone was of one of the pregnant patients on a gurney, bloodied with her belly exposed; it was later reported that she and her baby had died.

Points of light in the night sky at one time might have been on the occasion of a celebration, but is now the exhaust of missiles delivering death and destruction. The attack on Ukraine has been merciless and inhumane, with 2 million refugees, mostly women and children flooding across the borders of welcoming nations, Poland, Romania, Hungry, and Slovakia, to escape the carnage, while their husbands, brothers, fathers, all males capable of holding a weapon, remaining to defend their country.

Earlier at the beginning of the invasion, a missile strike came within yards of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power facility, the largest of its kind in Europe causing worldwide apprehension and fears of a radiation leak. Call it a miracle that there was none, the facility has since has been deactivated.

The only connection we in America have with Ukraine is through the media, cable and network news, print, the internet, and any propaganda from various sources. The reports of the number of lives lost in the war vary. In some cases, accusations have been made that both the Ukraine and Russia are inflating figures out of the war zone. Hopefully, we will eventually learn of the lives lost. To add to all the carnage are the images of the faces of the innocent civilians, especially the children, as they are forced to leave behind the lives they knew, and loved ones they may never see again. 

Most realize that this war is one-sided, and that the Ukrainians' chances of victory over the Russian machine are slim, even with the Stinger missiles, military support, financial assistance, and weapons systems supplied by the United States. NATO and its members have stood clear of any direct involvement. The Biden administration has enacted severe sanctions on Russia, but appears fearful and is treading carefully, especially after Putin threatened the possibility of bringing nuclear weapons into the conflict should a no-fly zone be established. There is a belief that Putin has been emboldened by a weak and impaired U.S. president. 

Polls have shown that a majority of respondents believe this war would not have started had former President Trump been in office, in that he showed the world a persona, tenacity, and a temperament that defied any extraneous force. He showed on a number of occasions that he did not hesitate to take action against any of America’s enemies.  

It is widely believed that Vladimir Putin is guilty of war crimes and must be held accountable. The destruction of civilian targets, such as hospitals, residential neighborhoods, a music playhouse, daycare, and schools are contemptible and evil. Even journalists reporting inside Ukraine are not safe. Fox News veteran photographer Pierre Zakizewski was killed when his vehicle was fired on by Russian troops. In the same vehicle, Fox News journalist Benjamin Hall was seriously wounded and remains hospitalized.   

There can always be found in any war acts of heroism. And even though the Russian military is far superior in man and firepower, the Ukrainian people, and their leader Volodymyr  Zelensky, who has stood steadfast and strong and has escaped several assassination attempts on his life, have shown the world what valor, courage, fortitude, perseverance, and an unyielding fighting spirit can achieve, for the love of their homeland and her people.