Words of War

Putin's War on Ukraine

Peacekeepers

When Putin attacked Ukraine, he called his invading forces “peacekeepers.” Newspaper headlines reflected the outrage this engendered:

—Ukraine: What’s Really Behind Putin’s Deployment of ‘Peacekeeping’ Troops?
—War of Words: Are Putin’s Moves an Act of War or a Peacekeeping Deployment?
—World Reacts with Fury to Putin’s ‘Peacekeeping Mission’
—Putin orders Russian ‘peacekeeping operations’ in Eastern Ukraine
—US slams Russian ‘Peacekeepers’ in Ukraine as Nonsense
—Putin’s Comments have UN Chief worried about ‘perversion’ of Peacekeeping concept [!!!]

This last one was an interesting choice of words, as United Nations ‘peacekeepers’ have been accused by many, including Human Rights Watch, of rape and child sexual abuse.

When two thousand years ago Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” he didn’t mean any of these, or Putin, either. He was speaking of those who legitimately make peace. Few are blessed in today’s world.

DeNazification

Putin used the word “deNazify” to describe one of main reasons for invading. The excuse for believing Ukrainians are a bunch of Nazis seems to be based on the Azov Battalion, a single regiment within the Ukrainian National Guard, which has been seen wearing Nazi symbolism. Beyond that, not much.

It’s a tough argument to label Ukrainians as Nazis. For example, Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish. Many news headlines called out Putin on his lame reasoning:

—Attacking Ukraine, Putin Calls for ‘Denazification’ of Country with a Jewish Leader—Why Putin’s ‘de-Nazification of Ukraine’ Argument Makes No Sense
—Ukrainian Jews angry and Appalled at Putin’s ‘DeNazification’ Claim
—Holocaust Museum Criticizes Putin’s Saying Ukraine Needs to Be ‘deNazified’

Warmonger

Most of the world is in agreement that Putin is a “warmonger.” Some headlines:

—World leaders slam warmonger Putin
—Even the Taliban think warmonger Putin is wrong
—As Russia Threatens Ukraine, Pope Decries Warmongering
—In Rostov-on-Don, Some Protest Putin’s Warmongering
—Not All Russians Buy Putin’s War-Mongering

But the “warmonger” allegation can depend on who is issuing it, and what side they’re on:

—Ukraine Crisis: US Is Warmongering, Says China in Fiery Skirmish at UN
—Biden Administration Intensifies Its Warmongering over Ukraine [Left Voice]
—What’s Behind US-NATO Warmongering Against Russia? [Green Left]
—Putin Accuses US of Warmongering As Boris Johnson Visits Ukraine
—US, UK Warn China Over Its ‘Warmongering’ Policies

An article in the Los Angeles Times claims “warmonger belongs to the idiom of political propaganda.” Calling someone a warmonger is a politicized form of “psychological projection.” Not in the case of Putin it isn’t, but I see his point in these headlines:

—Is Hillary Clinton a Warmonger?
—John Bolton, Warmonger
—Trump’s true legacy is that of a warmonger
—Joe Biden, Warmonger
—CPAC’s Bloodthirsty: US Conservatives Are Still Warmongering

Psychopath

Among Putin’s recent disturbing actions was to place his nuclear forces on “high alert,” leading some to question his sanity. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called it “dangerous rhetoric.” Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Putin “delusional” and “erratic.”

Longtime Putin ally Czech President Milos Zeman called him a “madman” after he launched his invasion. Former DNI Director Jim Clapper agreed. “I personally think he’s unhinged,” he said. But a former DIA intelligence officer disagreed. “He’s not delusional, there are no mental anomalies,” Rebekah Koffler said. “Putin is a cold-blooded, typical Russian autocratic leader and a very calculated risk-taker. He’s simply executing a plan that he has been hatching for 20 years.” Calling Putin crazy is a cover-up for the U.S failure to appreciate Putin's ambitions or psychology, she claimed.

“Leading psychologist” Dr. Emma Kenny said Putin exhibits “many of the key traits of a psychopath.” “Is Putin suffering 'delirium and confusion' due to Long COVID?” asked a Daily Mail headline.  “Questions arise over Russian leader’s mental state after rumours of cancer and Parkinson’s disease.” The Spectator questioned Putin quick turnaround from common sense to lunacy: “In little more than 48 hours, Putin’s sensible, peace-talking statesman act flipped into something dark and irrational that has worried even his supporters.” The Washington Post, as of last week anyway, was still willing to give Putin a conditional pass: “Though Putin may sound deranged, he still seems to be in control of his faculties.”

War Criminal

Commentators increasingly judge Putin as a “war criminal.” “To watch this kind of crushing assault by Putin, frankly, I think that he has got to be charged as a war criminal,” said Lloyd Axworthy, who served as Canada’s minister of foreign affairs between 1996 and 2000 under Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien. “Putin’s Historic Miscalculation May Make Him a War Criminal,” suggested The New Yorker.

US politicians of both stripes agreed. New York Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik said, “Vladimir Putin is a war criminal and deranged thug.” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham remarked, “We should move ahead forcefully against Putin, a war criminal, and demand our allies join us!”

Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern opined, “Putin is unstable. He’s a dangerous personality and I think he is unprepared for the fact that the world is united against him.”

Treason

It’s not all borscht soup and caviar if you’re a Russian citizen these days, especially if you feel so inclined as to protest against your government’s war on Ukraine. “Treason to the Motherland,” warned the Russian state to protesters against the war. “The Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia said in a statement: ‘For each fact of providing financial and other assistance to a foreign state in activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation, a legal assessment will be given.’”

Radio Free Europe noted that the total number detained in Russia for protesting the country's war on Ukraine was more than 4,500 people, OVD-Info said on its website, which lists the names of the detainees.

“Treason” is a word used by Ukrainian forces as well. The mayor of the Ukraine city of Yuzhny was arrested and charged with treason for assisting Russian troops. According to the Kyiv Independent, “Kupyansk mayor in Kharkiv Oblast charged with treason. Hennadiy Mazehora allegedly cooperated with Russian forces, according to Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova. She accused him of offering support to the troops that occupied his city and ceding control to them.” A similar story from the same news source: “Pivdennyi mayor in Kharkiv Oblast detained on suspicion of high treason. Oleksandr Briukhanov, along with a few local officials, have been captured on suspicion of high treason for allegedly negotiating with Russian forces, according to Kharkiv Oblast governor Oleh Synehubov.”

Impeachment

We can dream, right? According to the Washington Examiner, it is legally possible for Putin to be impeached through a series of actions starting with charged filed by the State Duma. Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine rises to the level of warranting impeachment proceedings, but that is unlikely.