We are watching the committing of war crimes in real-time. The world is witness to President Vladimir Putin invading an innocent sovereign country and killing the citizens of Ukraine. The operative word is watching. The United States, Germany, Poland, and others are sending aid and weapons. But they are watching the battle. Using the fact that Ukraine is not a member of NATO as an excuse, the world will not step up to end the slaughter of innocent Ukrainians.

Russia is meeting more resistance than they anticipated The Russian military is superior in troops and arms, but they did not factor for the heart of the Ukrainian people. The heart of a lion is proving an intangible weapon against the mite of the Russian tanks and missiles. Unfortunately for Ukraine, their supplies are running out. There are visions of women and children saying goodbye to their husbands, brothers, sons, and fathers as they leave them behind to fight. They then board trains for the long trip to Poland, Romania, and safety from war. They are now refugees without a country or a home.

The war is costing Russia a billion dollars a day, ironically, the same amount we are sending Russia daily for their dirty oil. I say dirty because we know that using Russian crude emits more pollution than burning cleaner domestic fuel

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the former actor/comedian that the world’s leaders scoffed at, has shown to be a true leader and unifier in a way that the likes of Biden and Trudeau could only dream of being. He did not go into hiding. Zelenskyy has been on the ground with his people rallying them to fight for their families and country. His people have responded, lining up to receive rifles to use against the invading Russians. The Russians are not fighting the Ukraine military but the Ukraine people. If only the rest of the world could be so brave.

On Monday, Zelenskyy addressed the EU remotely, requesting they admit Ukraine as a member. His hope is the membership would allow European allies to take a more active role in preserving the independence of Ukraine. “Prove you are with us,” he pleaded and was met by a standing ovation. Cheering is one thing, but actual support is what is needed.

Though the world believes Putin is posturing, the Russian President put his nuclear forces on high alert. He has stepped up the level of arms moving to blanket bombing, which is inaccurate and puts civilians at great peril. There are now 40 miles of Russian tanks and personnel carriers in convoy to Kyiv. This buildup of power could be the warning of an overwhelming attack and the fall of Ukraine.

Hopefully, this will not be a moment in history that will be looked back on with regret. How many times since WWII has the world said never again, yet we allow history to repeat itself. We have a chance to be ahead of history. The United States and Europe can stand up and push back against an unstable and rogue dictator that is annexing land at the expense of innocent lives. I listened to Jen Psaki said on Tuesday that the President is not prepared to take action against Putin as a War Criminal. Another example of poor leadership from a President who continues to build a case for being the worst President and administration in our history.