Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-Jewish lawyer and the author of the term “genocide,” predicted the events of 24 February 2022 – Russia’s full-scale invasion – 70 years ago.
Lemkin understood the nature of Russian imperial policy deeply, as he experienced firsthand the horrors of mass extermination based on national identity – his family perished during the Holocaust.
In 1953, Lemkin explicitly labeled the actions of the USSR against Ukraine as genocide, emphasizing Moscow’s intent to erase Ukrainian national identity.
Russia continues to deny Ukrainian sovereignty and the existence of Ukraine as a state, as well as Ukrainians as a distinct people. An article titled “What Russia Should Do with Ukraine,” published in 2022, further equates “denazification” with de-Ukrainization, framing Russia’s policies as a deliberate attempt to erase Ukrainian identity through attacks on culture.
This is why prominent lawyer Lemkin, who worked on the first draft of the Genocide Convention, warned the West against concessions and the policy of appeasing the aggressor – compromises with regimes that seek to destroy nations only encourage them to commit further crimes.
After spending my entire career as a lawyer, I made the decision to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine on 24 February, 2022, fully aware of the historical importance of the moment for my people’s survival. Leaving my comfortable office in downtown Kyiv, my family, and my normal life to serve on the front lines was not an easy choice, but I felt I had no other option when Russia invaded my homeland.
During my service, I helped document Russian crimes against culture, the destruction of monuments, museums, and churches, even when there was no military target nearby. Russians are spending billions on missiles to destroy buildings associated with anything Ukrainian.
Appeasing the aggressor will lead to even greater consequences. Russia will not stop at what it has managed to occupy after 11 years of aggression. With each new so-called ceasefire on Putin’s terms, Russia will recover and prepare for the next invasion.
The next invasion will be even bloodier, as Russia will learn from the mistakes that allowed Ukraine, with the help of Western partners, to resist them.
A ceasefire on Putin’s terms, regardless of the cost, will not create a lasting peace. President Trump’s desire to stop the killings is indeed noble, but a lack of understanding of the nature of this war could lead to catastrophic historical mistakes, ultimately resulting in even more victims of aggression.
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