At the same time Russian troops post videos of decapitated AFU-soldiers. Posted by Rusich, a well known ultra-nationalistic neo-nazi group, who also just recently posted that they are looking for a human sacrifice for their pagan gods. But that´s just the tip of the iceberg. Since Russian troops entered Ukrainian soil, they commited severe war crimes. The most abominable was Bucha but many others followed. The civilian population in the occupied territories is living under constant Russian terror, POWs are treated badly, children are deported. Historically most wars at some point reached the point where both sides are committing terrible war crimes and the longer a war or occupation drags on, the more severe they eventually get. This is due to frustration by the involved soldiers, who can´t bear the hardships anymore and get ever more frustrated with the enemy. Soldiers and civilians alike. But more important is the ideology that lies behind every war.

Most often the ideology that drives both sides is diminishing or even demonizing the enemy, including civilians. By telling soldiers and the population alike that they are something special, that the enemy is worth less, the inhibition threshold is lowered substantially. While doing so they tend to forget the obvious: That treating civilians and enemy soldiers well and according to humanitarian standards might win wars. The British thought that bombing Germany into rubble would diminish the will to fight of the German population.

Which is tragically funny because the Brits themselves had to endure The Blitz. Aimed at breaking British morale this german bombing raids just achieved the opposite. The British rallied behind the flag. And started bombing the Germans. Why so? Because they saw themselves as morally superior. In their eyes only the Brits could grow more resilient through such times of hardships. This folly not only killed tens of thousands but also bolstered Geman morale.

When Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, they argued that they are doing this because they wanted to free their "brotherly Ukrainians" from an alleged Neo-Nazi-cabal in Kyiv. Odd thing is that they showed their brotherly love by looting, raping & killing. They seemingly were surprised when their love was not repaid in kind and Ukrainians started to fight the invaders. Assisted by civilians the AFU inflicted defeat over defeat. With the result that Russian troops commited a massacre on civilians in Bucha before they retreated. Ever more war crimes commited by Russian troops and the Russian government were uncovered. Russian television thrived in delivering those crimes to their audiences

At the same time the AFU and Ukraine did their best to treat Russian soldiers according to international law and prevent war crimes commited by their troops. Critics might say that this is mostly due to the fact that the AFU was fighting on Ukrainian soil and therefore refrained from outright attrocities. But now they are on Russian soil. There they treat civilians well, treat Russian POWs well and do their best to deliver what Russia failed to deliver to Ukraine: Humanity and a taste of what could be if Russia took it´s propaganda myth of the "brotherly people" serious. They refrain from looting, support disabled persons, don´t rape. They behave like proper humans. And that seems to baffle the average Russian who is used to soldiers rampaging through enemy territory since Chechnaya at least.

Ukraine is behaving like we expect a proper liberal democracy to behave. It´s trying to living up on the standards it´s saying it´s defending. While it´s doing this many in the West argue for Ukraine to give in to Russian demands. To surrender large swathes of Ukraine. To surrender it to the occupier that proved again and again that it´s main export - besides fossil fuels - is terror and brutality. By giving in to Russias demands, by tolerating its aggression, by supporting it´s regime, it´s western enablers also further another export hit of Russia: Fear, the myth that might makes right, division, selfishness. A victory of Russia in this war would also strenghen those people who by now work hard to impose their authocratic worldview on western democracies, who sow discontent and want to end our liberal democracies. Who want to end humanitarian rights. They cry "Hypocracy" while living hypocracy to perfection.

A Ukrainian victory would be a hard blow for all those people. It would be a win for Democracy. That´s why Ukraine has to win.

See the below video where Russians abandon their elderly during the evacuation from the Kursk Region. Ukrainians found a paralyzed grandmother and helped her.