The Russian bombardment of Kyiv, a city that has already endured so much, is not merely a military operation. It is a deliberate act of savagery, a reminder that we are dealing with a regime that has abandoned any pretence of civilisation. The missiles that rained down on Ukraine's capital were not aimed at military targets; they were aimed at the very idea of a sovereign, democratic nation.
And as the world watches, the United Kingdom once again steps forward to reaffirm its support. But let us be honest: this is not charity. This is survival.
The fall of Kyiv would not just be a tragedy for Ukraine; it would be a catastrophe for the entire Western order. We have seen this before. The appeasement of tyrants, the blithe belief that enough hand-wringing and sanctions will deter a man who sees himself as a new Tsar.
It did not work in the 1930s, and it will not work now. Putin's barbarism is a mirror, reflecting the West's own decadence, our own reluctance to confront evil head-on. The Prime Minister's words are welcome, but they must be backed by steel.
For if Kyiv falls, so too does the illusion that liberal democracy can survive without the will to fight for it. We have reached the moment of truth, and as usual, history is watching us, waiting to see if we have learned anything at all.
