Ukraine-Russia war needs to end now

The time has come to leash the dogs of war. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and after its initial movements and Ukrainian counter-offenses, the battle lines have solidified. They shift here and there, but human suffering has reached cataclysmic proportions.

What will more weeks, months or years gain on either side? Like World War I’s western front, this conflict began with rapid advances followed by a grinding annihilation of soldiers. News reports pop, and social media flashes when one side advances, but a sudden end doesn’t emerge and likely will not. Modern war insatiably consumes material and flesh, rarely sating either side.

The dogs will wreak havoc until political leaders have satisfied their appetites. Another $45 billion has been authorized in the latest omnibus bill. To what end? The U.S. government has no clear strategy regarding Ukraine. It hopes Russian citizens might overthrow Mr. Putin and his government. History shows that citizens rarely remove their leader during a military conflict. Wars only end when old men and women run out of the young and cash. Until U.S. citizens protest and demand the war’s end, blood will continue to stain Ukraine’s sunflower fields.

Presidents Zelenskyy, Putin, and Biden must implement a cease-fire and negotiate the war’s end. Egos and pride must submit to peace. Otherwise, like in WWI, peace will come only after the exhaustion of labor, material, soldiers, and public sentiment. Hardly inspiring. Instead, in the bleak midwinter when snow falls on snow, the right action is to ameliorate the huddled masses of Ukraine longing for a silent night where their hopes and fears can meet peace.

Robert D. Flanagan, Bridgewater