Quote of the Day

It’s a dark, bleak day for the world, for Europe in particular. War is back on the continent, [even though it was] promised by our European Union that [it] would never be back on our soil. Vladimir Putin is to blame entirely for taking this step. But at the same time, NATO must be condemned for creating the circumstances leading to Putin’s escapade in Ukraine.

We have to stop this war right now. And we have to work very hard to stop any NATO escalation. We have to create international solidarity in order to ensure that the people of Ukraine live in peace, not under the boot of any army, and for NATO to keep out of . . . Eastern Europe, as, let’s not forget, George Bush – the senior George Bush – had promised Mikhail Gorbachev.

. . . [W]hen the beast of war is unleashed from its lair, then all sorts of catastrophes are possible. . . .The number one priority now is for a serious diplomatic initiative that sorts this mess out by giving Putin something that he can present the Russian people with as a victory. And that’s something that would not have any costs for anybody around the world: a declaration by NATO, by the United States, that Ukraine will not become a member of NATO, in exchange for troop withdrawal from the side of Vladimir Putin, that he ceases all hostilities and removes all troops from Ukrainian soil. I believe that that would be potentially the foundation for a peace deal that would be in the interest of humanity, not just of the Ukrainians. Both sides need to take a step back. Of course, the major step back must be Putin’s.

This war is the result, on the one hand, of NATO expansionism and, on the other hand, of course, crucially, the great glee with which Putin grabs the opportunity that the United States and NATO and Europe give him to have this war in order to enhance his authority, his brutal, cruel authority, over the good people [including the pro-democracy activists] of Russia.

– Yanis Varoufakis
Excerpted from “Yanis Varoufakis: 'Europe Must Stand with Ukraine,
Condemn Putin and Roll Back NATO to Restore Peace’”
Democracy Now!
February 24, 2022

Above: Natali Sevriukova weeps in front of one of the many residential buildings in Kyiv that have been damaged or destroyed by Russian shelling. (Photo: AP / Emilio Morenatti)

NEXT: Jeff Cohen:
Quote of the Day – February 28, 2022

Related Off-site Links:
Russian Attack of Ukraine Underway: “Extremely Dangerous Moment in World History” – Jake Johnson (Common Dreams, February 24, 2022).
Panic, Fear, Disbelief: Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Could Prompt Humanitarian and Refugee Crisis – Democracy Now! (February 24, 2022).
UN Chief Calls on Putin to Stop “Unacceptable” Russian Aggression – Kenny Stancil (Common Dreams, February 24, 2022).
Over 1,000 Russians Arrested for Protesting Putin’s Ukraine Invasion – Jessica Corbett (Common Dreams, February 24, 2022).
How NATO’s Expansion Helped Drive Putin to Invade Ukraine – Becky Sullivan (NPR News, February 24, 2022).
Putin’s Invasion – Katrina vanden Heuvel (The Nation, February 24, 2022).
Condemning Russia’s Invasion, Voices for Peace Say “War Is Not the Answer” – Jake Johnson (Common Dreams, February 24, 2022).
Ukraine Is Now Democracy’s Front Line – Anne Applebaum (The Atlantic, February 23, 2022).

UPDATES: The U.S. Should Respond to Putin’s Unconscionable Invasion of Ukraine With Diplomacy, Not War – Phyllis Bennis (In These Times, February 25, 2022).
From Putin’s Late-Night Speech to Russian Troops in Kyiv, Here's How the Invasion of Ukraine Has Unfolded – Scott Mitchell (ABC News, February 27, 2022).
How Ukrainian Defiance Has Derailed Putin’s Plans – Luke Harding (The Guardian, February 26, 2022).
Ukrainian Forces Resist Russian Advance on Kyiv, With President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Saying “We Will Not Lay Down Any Weapons” – ABC News (February 27, 2022).
Putin Shunned By World As His Hopes of Quick Victory Evaporate – Emma Graham-Harrison, Peter Beaumont, Andrew Roth, and Philip Oltermann (The Guardian, February 26, 2022).
Who Is Vladimir Putin’s Revisionist History For? – Yasmeen Serhan (The Atlantic, February 27, 2022).
Russian Ruble Is Now Worth Less Than 1 U.S. Cent After SWIFT Bank Sanctions – Associated Press via TIME (February 28, 2022).
Putin Accidentally Revitalized the West’s Liberal Order – Kori Schake (The Atlantic, February 28, 2022).
War: The Ukrainian Conundrum – Marianne Williamson (Transform, February 28, 2022).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• A Prayer for Ukraine
• A “Post-Cold War Train Wreck Long In the Making”
• Prayer of the Week: “The Heart of Compassion” by Joyce Rupp
• Discerning and Embodying Sacred Presence in Times of Violence and Strife
• Questioning God's Benevolence in the Face of Tragedy
• In Search of a “Global Ethic”