Again, Ukraine must not lose the moral high ground

Six people, including a child, were killed while 18 others were injured after missiles struck a school and shopping center area the other day in the Russian city of Belgorod, a city bordering Russia and Ukraine.

Russian authorities have blamed Ukraine for the attack. This isn’t yet confirmed and Ukraine hasn’t said anything as of this writing.

But if indeed it was Ukraine behind the attack --because we cannot totally discount Russia from carrying out false-flag operations to erode support for Ukraine-- and it was carried out deliberately instead of accidentally, then it was a wrong move.

Again, Ukraine must not lose the moral high ground in this war.

In any war the moral high ground is always hard to find. However, in Russia’s war against Ukraine --coming into its second year next week-- it’s easy to determine who was the aggressor and who was attacked without sufficient provocation.

Given this, it’s easy to determine which side deserves condemnation and which side deserves sympathy and support from the international community. Some would simplify it to labeling the Ukrainians as the “good guys” and the Russians as the “bad guys”.

Ukraine must do its darnedest to stay the “good guys” in this war.

Others will readily say: “But Russia is doing the same thing targeting Ukrainian civilians, shouldn’t Ukraine be justified in doing the same?” Not if it wants to keep looking like the good guys.

In any war civilians should be off-limits. Civilian deaths always leave a bad impression, even to a beleaguered nation’s staunchest allies.

Again, we don’t have to tell Ukraine what it stands to lose if it breaks the normal conventions of war; financial and material support in its fight against invading Russians.

Russia cannot care less about looking like the baddies, or of what the international community thinks about its war. It has convinced itself --or at least Putin has fooled the Russian people-- of the righteousness of its cause.

It also doesn’t have to worry about running out of resources, money, or war materiel, unlike Ukraine.

But because Ukraine is now dependent on international support to win this war it cannot afford to lose the moral high ground.