When one looks at the atrocities uncovered in Bucha (not for the squeamish here | here), the targeting of civilian buildings, and the indiscriminate bombardment of Ukrainian cities, it isn’t hard to see how and why this is taking place. These are not the actions of rogue commanders or poorly trained troops. Instead, this is a planned program of national eradication. This is Putin’s “Final Solution to the Ukrainian Problem.” The killings, kidnappings, and terrorism are not bugs in a sloppy military operation; they are highly prized features of a plan to absorb Ukraine back into Russia and, over time, eliminate the national and cultural identity of the Ukrainian people.

The implications of this are stark. In the rawest terms, it means that a peace deal is not possible in Ukraine. There can only be an armed truce awaiting the next round of hostilities or until Russia changes leadership, and that change brings a different attitude.