”A beautiful room in the old building of New York’s Ukrainian Institute of America is full of friendly faces. People are wearing vyshyvankas, traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts, and Ukrainian flag pins. It’s Feb. 24, 2024 – the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. My colleagues at the Kyiv Independent’s War Crimes Investigations Unit and I are on a speaking tour around the U.S. to answer questions about the war. And then, like clockwork, someone asks that question. While the question may appear innocent and constructive at first glance, it showcases one of the most widespread and harmful delusions about Russia: that the solution to Russia’s war of aggression lies in Russia, in the hands of the Russian people.This question has popped up during conferences, award ceremonies, round tables, working groups, and one-on-ones I have attended from the United States to South Korea.