We must call a spade a spade
As the war in Ukraine approaches the three-year mark, we must learn the lessons of history where language has been used to conceal or expose crimes, influence public opinion, and shaped their narratives. In the case of the war in Ukraine, failing to call things by their real names accepts the Kremlin’s propaganda and could potentially shield Russia, the brutal aggressor, from accountability for its crimes.
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Words are also weapons. Calling Russia’s full-scale invasion as “the conflict in Ukraine” or “the Ukrainian crisis” as if it were a domestic conflict or a dispute between neighbors is dangerous. The war in Ukraine is not an unfortunate event; it is a deliberate, unprovoked act of aggression by a foreign power.
The reality must be stated clearly: Russia is waging an aggressive war against a sovereign nation, Ukraine, in violation of international law. To call it anything else is to downplay the seriousness of the situation and, ultimately, allow Vladimir Putin's regime to control the narrative.
The nonsense of “Putin’s peace plan”
In a recent attempt to present himself as a peacemaker, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin proposed “peace terms.” However, let’s not be deceived: these are not genuine peace proposals, but rather the cynical demands of the aggressor, their primary objective being the final annexation of Ukrainian territory and the subjugation of its people.
ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December, 20, 2024
By categorizing these demands as peace proposals, some Western leaders risk legitimizing Putin's approach, blurring the line between aggressor and victim. Such an abuse of terminology in this way falsely assigning equality to both sides, which undermines Ukraine's struggle and emboldens Russia.
Child abductions
One of the most terrifying examples of misuse of terminology is the description of the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russian forces, which the Kremlin has the audacity to call “rescue” or “adoption.” This is not an act of charity or compassion. It is a deliberate strategy of cultural and national destruction, the aim of which is to deprive Ukraine of its future by forced assimilation of its youngest generation.
International law defines the forced transfer of children from one group to another as a form of genocide. Calling these abductions adoptions is not only factually incorrect, it hides the seriousness of Russia's actions and risks normalizing what is, by all definitions, a war crime.
Terror attacks against civilians and civil infrastructure
What can we say about the ongoing missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, which primarily target civilians and infrastructure?
These attacks are not simply “strikes” or “incidents,” as many media outlets describe them. These are war crimes. Period!
When Russian missiles rain down on residential areas, schools, hospitals, and power plants, their aim cannot be justified as militarily necessary; their goal is to terrorize. The Kremlin seeks to break Ukrainian spirit by inflicting the maximum suffering on ordinary people.
The world must be clear: the deliberate targeting of civilians is (yet another) a war crime, and Putin, as the architect of this strategy, must bears responsibility alongside those who carry out his orders. To downplay this brutality as collateral damage or an unfortunate result of war is to ignore the intent behind it.
Avoiding the repetition of the lessons of history
Historical analogies clearly demonstrate the importance of linguistic precision.
When Adolf Hitler's Germany tried to annex Czechoslovakia in 1938 under the pretext of “protecting ethnic Germans,” the world responded by giving in, treating it as a “territorial dispute.” That language diluted the true nature of Hitler's ambitions, encouraging him to further conquest.
The same thing happened the following year when Germany invaded Poland, which many, fearing escalation, tried to explain as a “border dispute.” That language diluted the true nature of Hitler's ambitions, encouraging him to further conquest.
The same is true today. Putin's claims of the need to “protect the Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine” mirror Hitler's justifications. Yet some in the international community appear ready this justification and are hesitant to establish a definitive boundary. Calling Putin a “concerned protector of minorities” falls into the trap of directly playing by his rules, giving him an air of legitimacy.
Blame should be apportioned accurately
It is impossible to overstate the danger of relativizing terms in this conflict. The two sides are not equal; there is an aggressor and there is a victim defending itself. Russia, a country led by an authoritarian regime with expansionist ambitions, attacked Ukraine, a democratic nation which is now defending its territory, people, and values.
Any attempt to present this as a “both sides are equally culpable” scenario betrays the truth and emboldens the Kremlin. For example, calling Ukraine's call for more, capable weapons to defend itself as “escalation” or “provocation” directly feeds Moscow's narrative that Ukraine and the West are responsible for prolonging the war.
Such terminology not only distorts the truth; it has real consequences on the ground. Putin's regime is acutely aware of how language affects perception. Statements by Western politicians expressing fear of “escalation” or a “broader European conflict” are pleasing to Putin's ears and reinforce his strategy of intimidation.
The world must understand that this Kremlin is not a “normal” regime, and Putin is not a “normal” leader interested in conventional diplomacy. Russia, under Putin's leadership, has become a rogue state; it defies international norms, commits war crimes, and threatens the security of Europe. This regime must not be satisfied or negotiated with; it must be stopped at the borders of Ukraine.
Changing the dynamic
Recent statements by prominent voices in the democratic world calling for support for Ukraine's “Victory Plan” as articulated by President Volodymyr Zelensky are encouraging. This plan, which includes the liberation of occupied territories, accountability for war crimes, and the establishment of long-term security guarantees, offers a road map for a decisive end to Russian aggression.
The democratic world must unreservedly support this plan. Ukraine’s victory is not only Ukrainian interest; it is the defense of the international order, the protection of democratic values, and a barrier against autocratic expansionism.
If the world allows the Kremlin's version of events to be adopted, it risks validating Russia's imperialist ambitions and sends a message to other authoritarian regimes that force justifies everything. Every misused term - every euphemism and relativization - gives Putin's propaganda machine ever more room to maneuver.
In this war, words are not just labels; they are moral attitudes. The world must stand by Ukraine not only with military support but also with verbal precision. We can only expose the full horror of Russia's actions, counter the Kremlin's propaganda, and ensure justice prevails by calling things by their real names. We cannot afford the high cost of linguistic indifference.
It is time for the democratic world to call this war by its true name - a campaign of unprovoked aggression and terror - and commit to helping Ukraine win a war it did not want.
As Winston Churchill warned in the dark days of World War II, “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”
The democratic world must not feed the crocodile of Russian aggression with vague words and messages, nor hesitate in fulfilling obligations. The language we use today will shape the world of tomorrow. Let it be a world where Ukraine stands free and safe and where Europe is free from the fear of dictators and thugs.
And finally, let's once again evoke Churchill, who said, “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”
The democratic world is facing a clear choice.
The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.
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