Douglas Murray on the Ukraine war: "Putin is THE dictator"

Douglas Murray has a powerful piece in the New York Times presenting ten truths the West cannot afford to ignore.

Here are some extracts. 

"Putin is THE dictator and 10 Ukraine-Russia war truths we ignore at our peril

"This has been a dizzying and disorienting week in international diplomacy. One with wild implications for Ukraine, the future of America’s standing in the world and President Trump’s legacy.

Trump is absolutely right in wanting to end the bloodshed in Ukraine. The suffering has been appalling and the stalemate brutal. But in the furious mix of wild opinions this week from the White House down, there are at least 10 truths that every American voter must hang onto.

In Trump’s rush to end the bloodshed, these are also the truths against which any deal will be judged and which will define him when the history books are written.

To ignore them or not treat them with the gravity they deserve will also have enormous consequences for decades to come:"


Truth No. 1

"Vladimir Putin started this war." 

Truth No. 2

"Russia is fighting for conquest. The Russian Federation invaded Ukraine in 2022. Whatever you think of the country or its leadership, Ukraine is an internationally recognized, sovereign nation. Putin invaded in the hope of devouring the country wholesale."

Truth No. 3

"Ukraine is fighting for its independence. Most Ukrainians do not want to be part of Russia. They do not want to be governed from Moscow. The vast majority want to live in an independent, sovereign country in control of its own future." 

Truth No. 4

"Ukrainians are not Russians. Ukrainians and Russians are not “one people — a single whole,” as Putin wrote in a 2021 essay. He is also simply lying in his assertion that “modern Ukraine is entirely the product of the Soviet era.”

Ukrainians and Russians are two separate ethnic groups. They speak different languages and have distinct histories."

Truth No. 5

"Putin is a dictator. Putin has ruled Russia with an iron KGB fist since coming to power in 1999. He has ruthlessly quashed independent media, ended free and fair elections, crushed civil society and killed his political opponents. And not just inside Russia, but around the world. People who live inside Russia and express any opposition to the war are imprisoned." 

Truth No. 6

"Zelensky is not a dictator. A political outsider, Zelensky won the 2019 presidential election, which was relatively free and fair. He has a 57% approval rating, not the 4% Trump claimed.

Unlike in Russia, Ukraine has vibrant independent media that hold the government to account — despite claims to the contrary by internet swamp creatures and Russian bots.

Many Ukrainians freely criticize the government’s conduct of the war. When Britain was fighting for its survival against the Nazis in the 1940s, it too did not hold elections."

Truth No. 7

"Russia is not a friend of the US." 

Truth No. 8

"Ukraine is a friend of the US." 

Truth No. 9

"Putin cannot be trusted. This isn’t just a statement of fact. It is also something that 81% of American voters agree on.

Putin has invaded multiple countries in violation of every international treaty. He has interfered in multiple elections in his nearest neighbors. He has violated international agreements, including the INF Treaty with the US.

He has lied to American presidents and European leaders his whole career. He has lied to Trump even since Trump has been back in office." 

Truth No. 10

"American aid to Ukraine is not being wasted.

Nobody would argue that Ukraine is a country without corruption. But that does not mean its people and sovereignty should not be protected.

We should also remember which country in this war is truly corrupt. Russia is one vast, kleptocratic state, led by Putin and a small cartel of oligarchs who have made themselves among the richest people on Earth. All while keeping most of the Russian population in a state of poverty that would not be believed by most of us in the West.

Putin and his cronies have been accumulating power and wealth all their careers. And they will torture and kill anyone who exposes this corruption." 



"You can criticize Zelensky, complain. But we should be under no illusions about who started this fire and who the true dictator or villain of this tragic tale is.

Trump has a chance to bring an end to this war, to stop the killing. Maybe even win a Nobel Peace Prize.

But he will not be honored if the peace is an appeasement, one that bows down in the face of evil as it denies obvious truths.

The judgment of history will be even harsher — decades of peace and prosperity in Europe and America thrown away to a resurgent Russia harassing the East. Without a strong peace, it won’t be just Ukraine that suffers. It is all of us."

This is a shortened version with extracts from Murray's article which can be read in full at

Putin is THE dictator and 10 Ukraine-Russia war truths we ignore at our peril 


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