Send troops to Ukraine

The English version of an op-ed in a Swedish newspaper.

The Swedish op-ed was published this morning in Sydöstran. After I sent it, I learned that the muscovites are shelling evacuation points in Cherson. Bastards.

Source: Sydöstran and STRINGER

Russia's blowing up of the dam at Nova Kakhovka is another war crime. In the past, Putin's soldiers have committed war crimes against Ukrainian civilization. Now he has also committed ecocide against the Ukrainian nature.

Putin's blowing up of the dam is the biggest disaster since the accident at Chernobyl. Putin's contempt for the lives knows no bounds. The consequences of the damage to ecosystems, agricultural industries and fisheries also affect other parts of the world. Already, Putin's war has driven up global food prices with serious consequences for poor populations in countries that depended on Ukrainian grain.

Putin's blowing up the dam is a terrorist crime. There must be consequences. We cannot leave Ukraine to deal with the consequences of this war crime by themselves. Firstly, the outside world must provide humanitarian aid as soon as possible to care for the people and animals that are affected. In addition, we must help Ukraine clean up, restore and rebuild the communities, infrastructure and ecosystems that have been damaged or destroyed. This means more than sending money. We need to send people, machinery, power stations, and materials.

Secondly, the outside world must send troops to Ukraine to protect the personnel and equipment needed to rebuild Ukraine. Putin has no respect for human life and regularly allows his troops to fire even rescue workers in Ukraine. Therefore, the architects, biologists, construction workers, engineers, medical personnel, and other necessary expertise sent down must be protected by military with the equipment needed to ensure that Putin's missiles do not kill the civilian personnel. Sweden, together with NATO, has a given role in this work.

Military from NATO and Sweden must also be placed in the areas that Ukraine has liberated and will liberate. In these areas, efforts are needed for humanitarian aid and reconstruction. This staff also needs protection.

Thirdly, Russia must be isolated. Russia must be recognized as a terrorist state and treated as such. All trade with the country must cease to stop the financing of Putin's war. The countries that today help Russia circumvent sanctions must be punished with sanctions against their own trade and production. The countries that are currently dependent on Russia for grain imports must be compensated for this through increased exports from other countries.

Fourthly, more free trade is needed. To increase the incentives for the world's countries to isolate the terrorist state, the free trade areas that exist today, primarily the EU, need to be expanded to also include countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Such an increase in free trade will give rise to gains that far exceed the loss of Russia as a trading partner. According to UN trade statistics, it is primarily the EU and Central Asian countries that trade in Russian energy.