“If the olive branch has wilted, the pistol will do.”

Perhaps for a proper understanding of the quote above, you will need to at least begin reading the excellent article from which it was drawn. A fine and rational assessment of the Russia-Ukraine war or, if you want to be pedantic, Special Military Operation – which is the war you have when you must fight for something worthwhile but you don’t want a war. The difference is limited in terms of effort and cost, but major in terms of conscience. Though after some time, as intensity grows, as, over time, it must, that difference, superficially, becomes barely recognisable.

That assessment coming from the substack of Big Serge, the bulk of whose work in similar vein on historic conflicts is not of major interest to me. But this, being about a living reality of our times, certainly is. And I can say, without doubt, that I have read no finer assessment (covering the whole gamut of the conflict right up to the present day) than this one.

It is undoubtedly a long piece, but what you will derive from it is unmatched, so far, by what you may find anywhere else.

Russo-Ukrainian War: The Flaming Olive Branch – Big Serge Thought – June 18, 2025

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