What makes you think that there are no diplomatic efforts underway to bring the war to an end? Jimmy Carter was pretty good at making peace deals, not to mention spending decades promoting fair elections and peace though his Carter Center. What did Carter say about negotiating peace in the various Middle East conflicts? "The conflicts will continue until ALL the parties involved are convinced that there is nothing further to gain by fighting". I think this is wise and applies directly to Russia's war on Ukraine. putin could end the war tomorrow, he simply won't do so until he has gained enough Ukrainian territory to declare victory or is forced by internal opposition to stop.
NOBODY believes that this Ukraine and its allies are fighting "to defeat Russia and disarm it"...this is pure strawman. NOBODY believes that the goal of the war is to "deliver a humiliating defeat, followed by a big dose of disarmament"...pure strawman.
Ukraine has two obvious goals; first to survive the Russian invasion and avoid the inevitable cascade of war crimes and genocide that Russia will perpetrate, has perpetrated against Ukrainians should it gain control of the country, and second, to push Russia out of Ukraine. Ukraine will accept any negotiations to achieve those two immensely reasonable goals.
putin's long string of excuses and justifications for attacking a sovereign state are garbage, no reasonable person believes them on their face or thinks that putin believes them.
His actions are naked aggression, lust for conquest, visions of becoming a "The Great" in history. No other explanation passes even the most tolerant smell test. NATO was notorious for NOT investing in military strength, NOT building significant standing armies, NOT even preparing seriously for defense, let alone aggression.
Western Europe had exposed its vulnerable underbelly to putin, gifting him not only the lavish income of Russian fossil sales but also the power inherent in his ability to turn those taps off. This is the opposite of threat or aggression, this is the olive branch, the hand extended in friendship or at least mutual benefit cooperation.
putin chose to interpret the gesture either as weakness or as probable compliance to his ambitions.
The scope of crimes and atrocities putin is willing to commit in pursuit of his lust for conquest is epic. No sane person can ever again do business with him without becoming accomplice to his crimes. There ARE no simple solutions to the disaster he alone has wrought ,,,would that there were. You seem to constantly be advocating that we abandon Ukraine and by default allow putin to have his way there. His way will be blood.
