Editorial: The consequence of war

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is an act of villainy conducted in full view of the world. There was no reason for this invasion beyond the twisted logic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who seeks to turn back time by expanding his sphere of influence over a nation eager to embrace the west.

The people of Ukraine will suffer and die in this action. They, and the people of Russia, will bear the cost. But the war also promises to test this nation, some 5,000 miles away, and Americans’ willingness to stand up for democratic values when they are under fire.

Already the fractures are evident, chasms between left and right, when what matters most is declaring with one voice that an assault on the world order will not stand without consequence and that an innocent population in harm’s way should be given aid and comfort.

This is not an event that unfolded by surprise but rather one that escalated over decades. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian and Ukraine have moved in opposite directions in fits and starts.

Today’s Russia is a kleptocratic oligarchy that arrests political opponents, murders journalists and crushes dissent. In contrast, Ukraine has moved to embrace western values and closer toward Europe. Its people desire democracy and freedom and have taken to the streets to fight when those principles come under threat.

The United States has supported Ukraine’s aspirations, up to a point. It has not backed membership in NATO and, with the rest of the world, allowed Putin to march into Crimea without stern repercussions. Following a democratic uprising in 2013-14, Russian-backed forces instigated a conflict in the eastern regions of Ukraine that served as a pretext for this larger conflict.

Now, with Ukrainian cities under fire, the international community has no choice but to act, though it may be too late to prevent unimaginable bloodshed throughout the country.

What it can do — what it is doing — is impose the harshest possible economic sanctions to punish Putin and his oligarch backers. The Russian people, many of whom oppose this unnecessary war, will suffer for their leaders’ folly and hubris.

We will feel that pain as well, across the country and here in Hampton Roads.

A global conflict that involves the nation’s allies always puts focus on the U.S. armed forces, which will play some role in how things unfold. That is unlikely to mean American troops in combat, but it could land our young men and women in harm’s way, even peripherally.

Such a scenario has more meaning here, home to some of the country’s most important military installations. Hampton Roads knows all too well the costs of war and that decisions to deploy troops abroad, even outside the fighting, should be taken after exhausting every available alternative and only when the nation’s vital interests are in danger.

But this won’t be a burden those in uniform shoulder alone. There is a near certainty of economic turmoil, including higher gas prices, market fluctuations and supply-chain distributions, which Americans are unlikely to escape. The timing could not be worse.

While citizens may not accept these happily or eagerly, we should understand they are a byproduct of foreign aggression that must be checked. And if they help to protect the sovereignty and independence of a democratic Ukraine, they are worth the cost.

The United States did not invite this war and, contrary to his critics, the fault is not President Joe Biden’s alone. Numerous choices affected the global landscape since Ukraine declared independence in 1991 and helped set the stage for this attack.

But now the United States must act forcefully in concert with the international community to halt this war, to provide relief to those harmed and displaced, and to punish Russia for its unacceptable aggression.

That may make for hardship here at home, but it is hardship we should accept in defense of our values and an ally that shares them.