How could we end the war in Ukraine tomorrow?
The simplest way is to dot the i’s and cross the t’s on what officially has been said already. Everyone agrees that by invading Ukraine, Russia, under the leadership of President Putin, broke international laws. With condemnations coming from everywhere, no one has used the right term to describe the situation so far. Putin is a war criminal. As such, he needs to end up in front of the judges at The International Court of Justice in The Hague. We need to say clearly and firmly that this is his only future. In the meantime, as long as he is still in power, we may need to negotiate with him, the same way as we negotiate with a criminal keeping innocent people hostage.
Declaring Putin a war criminal implies that the Russian military is an accomplice in executing the crimes he commanded. Russian marshals and generals need to realize that, ultimately, they will face justice for their roles in the invasion of Ukraine. The field officers, like those who killed Ukrainian soldiers on the Snake Island, need to know that sooner or later, they will be found and punished.
Sanctions hurting Russia are not the right solution. It is in the best interest of the world and Russia to keep Russia fully integrated into the global economy. By declaring Putin a war criminal, the Russian political and military elite will have to choose to stay with him or abandon…
