“Views on the News: US Ambassador declares Russia's actions are war crimes"  

United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Thursday that actions committed by Russia against Ukrainian  civilians constitute war crimes, marking the first time a senior U.S. official has directly accused Moscow of war crimes since last month's attack on Ukraine began. How does declaring the actions of Russia a war crime help Ukraine in its effort to squash the war? In what ways can Brandeis provide support for Ukraine during this time?

What many in the west West naively fail to understand is that tyrannical despots do not think the way we do. Putin could care less about civilian casualties, and the atrocities being witnessed, particularly the horrific bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol were likely intentional in nature. Whether we’d like to admit it or not, dictators like Putin only understand one language: strength. Putin knows better than anyone that if this invasion fails, his leadership will be finished, possibly alongside his life. In contrast, by continuing to supply Ukraine with weapons and aid, we can make this invasion as costly and difficult as possible for Russia, rallying behind the most unifying cause the West has seen in decades. In this aspect, the act of raising awareness towards the cause of Ukrainian freedom, and attempting to make change in a cruel, sordid world where innocent people suffer is something with which Brandeis and Brandeisians have no equal.

Gabriel Frank ’22 is an associate editor for the Justice majoring in philosophy.