I remember reading or seeing an interview with someone about Joseph Stalin’s demands for the Soviet Union’s representation in the United Nations. Stalin compared the Soviet Union to Europe with many individual countries in a group so each of the countries in the Soviet Union should have a seat in the United Nations. The final decision was to give him three. The three were Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. Many of the others joined after the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics broke up.

      Vladimir Putin says Ukraine is a part of Russia but Stalin said it was separate. Therefore history indicates Putin is wrong and Russia is invading a free and independent country. The United States and most of the rest of the World’s countries agree that Russia is an invader of an independent country. About fifty are supposed to be giving Ukraine some kind of support. The NATO countries are giving money, weapons, and training to Ukraine. NATO has sanctioned Russia and many of its citizens for committing internationally illegal criminal activities.

            We must continue to support Ukraine in their fight to remain an independent and free country. Any American who wants to reduce the effort should be considered a Fascist supporter and a friend of Putin.

            Putin thought he could roll through Ukraine in a few days while controlling what his people know about it. A few bodies can be hidden as with his previous excursions.  The possibility of additional sanctions could be overcome until they are lifted. The ethnic Russians in the Ukraine would line the streets cheering his troops marching through towns and cities.

            None of the above has worked out as in his dream. He is fighting an information war to keep his disastrous invasion from his people.  In today’s digital world, keeping the truth from coming out is impossible so his people will slowly learn the truth and not his reality he has fed them.

            When bodies of the thousands of dead troops start coming home or go missing, people are going to react by questioning what Russia is doing in a friendly country. Statistics say the ratio of killed to wounded is at least one to three meaning over 25,000 have been wounded.

            Sanctions were not as easy as he anticipated and appear to be of a long duration. The hundreds of companies that have pulled out of Russia meaning the average citizen is aware of something going wrong and affecting their lives. Wiping out all the economic gains of the last two decades is going to create social problems.

            Thousands have been protesting the war against Ukraine. Over two thousand have been locked up and hundreds injured by police. What will Putin do when the protesters number in the hundreds of thousands or millions? Can he survive a general uprising?

            How did we get into this mess with Ukraine? Long ago we looked the other way when Putin started his vicious attacks on civilians. Previous Russian Presidents of the USSR and Russia destroyed cities in Afghanistan and Chechnya. They felt no remorse in killing people by gas, bombs, and missiles. Starving people by cutting off food and utilities wasn’t criticized.

            Along came Syria, where dropping barrel bombs on residential areas was common practice by Russian Helicopters. They killed tens of thousands Syrians while causing millions to flee the country. America and other countries protested some but the main reason was the immigrations.

            If we did little to stop those events and actions, why would Putin believe Ukraine would be different? Hadn’t he paved the way with Trump, the divisive internet sites, and their agents working the GOP? How could his intelligence agencies be so wrong with their reports to him? Were they scared to make a report different than he envisioned or did he ignore them? Is his ego and arrogant personality the real reason the world has turned against him; is that why he can’t back down no matter what happens or what he has to do?

            How much are you upset about what Putin is doing in Ukraine? How much have you committed to supporting those people who want the same rights as we have? Are you willing to hurt yourself some financially to hurt Putin and maybe help Ukraine’s desperate people? How much do you believe the war in Ukraine is not going to be the end? How much do you think we need to stop it now?

            If you want to get in deeper and as deep as armed conflict with Russian troops, then tell your Senators and Representatives you want the tank busting A-10 Wart Hog jets and munitions given to the Ukrainians. You want Russia’s oil and natural gas exports sanctioned causing your costs to go up. You want secondary sanctions to go against any country buying or selling to Russia including China.

            We need to be prepared to counter Putin’s cyber attacks on our infrastructure. As they disrupt our electricity, fuel supplies and transportation, our cyber people will counter in Russia’s infrastructure. Will Putin go to a greater conflict like nuclear? Nobody knows. Would his military carry out his orders to launch or to attack a NATO country? It is not known.

            People in Russia are starting to protest in the streets and when it grows to tens or hundreds of thousands can he survive? Will his sycophants continue to support him when they see his end or their end written on the wall?

            How much are we willing to do at this time to stop him now?

            The Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Nations has asked an amazing question that has not been resolved. When the UN was organized, the winners of World War II made themselves permanent members of the UN Security Council giving each the authority to override any decision made by the Council. Ten other countries serve on Council on a two year rotating basis. A simple no vote kills any motion.

            At the time of the North Korea’s invasion into the South, Russia was boycotting the UN. Without their veto, the UN ordered troops of member countries to go into South Korea to save South Korea. Stalin was furious at his mistake but blamed others.

            Why is this important today? It seems the seats listed in the UN charter are for the Republic of China (Taiwan now) and the Soviet Union. When the non-Communist Chinese left China moving to Taiwan they kept the seat. In In 1971, the seat was given to the People’s Republic on the mainland. However the UN has a clause on new countries waiting to join. The USSR broke up into 15 new countries which were given membership. Russia assumes the USSR seat on the council without the necessary vote.

            The Ukraine Ambassador has proposed that China and especially Russia has no legal position on the council. Membership is supposed to go to only peace loving countries and with Russia invading one country after another, it does not qualify.