Let us have moral clarity about Vladimir Putin and Russia. Putin is a war criminal. His troops have committed genocide. Russia must be isolated -- economically, politically, socially -- until Putin is removed, and he and those responsible for these atrocities are tried and convicted in The Hague.
Ukraine must also be made whole.
All ties must be cut with Russia as civilized nations cut ties with the Third Reich.
No company should do business in Russia. No one should buy a single Russian product. No Russian athletes, performers, scientists, educators, business people should be allowed to participate in any international event. All Russian embassies should be closed. All Russian students on temporary visas should be sent home. Russian oligarchs' assets should be seized and redirected to help Ukraine with humanitarian and military needs.
The sanctions against Russia must be kept in place and ratched up until the Russian economy collapses or Putin is removed.
Any nation that continues to do business with Russia also must pay a steep price.
Any peace treaty that allows Putin to stay in power is meaningless and feckless.
There is moral clarity here.
Joe Biden is the first US president to say this about Putin and rally our allies in a meaningful way. George W. Bush looked the other way when Putin invaded and subdued Georgia in August 2008. Barack Obama let Putin cross red lines in Syria and Crimea. Donald Trump gave Putin everything he wanted, withheld arms from Ukraine and weakened NATO.
No more. Democracies, especially in the West, must have the courage to see this through. That includes every one of us.