Letter: Russia-Ukraine War

Politics and idealism are driving the Russia-Ukraine War. Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin all want to appear strong and resolute. Politics demands this posture. Biden is conscious of Barack Obama's declared "red line" warning Bashir-al-Assad against use of chemical weapons and the disastrous withdrawals from Viet-Nam and Afghanistan. The war is good politically for Zelensky as long as the U. S. and others are bankrolling it. Putin cannot let the former Soviet Socialist Republic of Ukraine cause any kind of military defeat against Russia. But the war has caused skyrocketing prices of energy and food, millions of refugees, tens of thousands of deaths and the massive devastation of Ukraine. This war cannot go on indefinitely. The Biden administration needs to initiate peace talks. This will not be good short-term U. S. politics; even though it won't be easy, it's the right thing to do.