Believing in the “humanism” of great powers is naïve
When I wrote that the United States had no more right to attack Venezuela than Russia had to attack Ukraine, I anticipated that Armenian admirers of either the U.S. or Russia would start arguing with me, insisting that the country they favor is just and acted correctly, while the one they oppose is wrong. That prediction came true—and this time, it was pro-Russian readers who were more active.
They remind me of the events that took place in Odesa in 2014, which, in their view, provided sufficient grounds to start a war against Ukraine.
What is this about? After the “second Maidan”—that is, the overthrow of the pro-Russian leader Yanukovych and the establishment of a “pro-European” government in Ukraine—Russian-speaking activists in Odesa took to the streets in what was called an “anti-Maidan” rally. Clashes erupted, during which the protesters were forced to take refuge in the city’s Trade Unions House. A fire broke out there, the entrances were blocked, and many people were unable to escape. As a result, 48 people were killed and 200 injured.
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Regardless of whether this was deliberate or accidental, the responsibility undoubtedly lies with the Ukrainian authorities of the time. Incidentally, in 2025 the European Court of Human Rights concluded that those authorities had failed to take adequate measures to prevent the loss of life and, subsequently, to conduct an effective investigation. But did this give Russia the right to attack Ukraine and unleash a war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives? Absolutely not.
The alleged crime committed in Odesa, however, is in no way comparable to the atrocities carried out by the United States and Russia over recent decades. In Iraq alone, between 2003 and 2016, the actions of the U.S. military resulted in more than 180,000 documented civilian deaths. Moreover, there are cases that cannot be described as a “mistake” or a “misunderstanding.”
One particularly horrific example is well known. In 2005, in the Iraqi village of Haditha, in retaliation for the killing of a single American soldier, U.S. troops shot dead 24 civilians—children, women, and elderly people—at close range. Later, none of those soldiers was convicted of murder in the United States.
But this by no means suggests that Russia wages war in a more “humane” manner. In February–March 2022, Russian forces occupied the town of Bucha on the outskirts of Kyiv. About a month later, Russian troops withdrew. When Ukrainian soldiers entered Bucha, they found dozens of civilian bodies in the streets and courtyards, bearing signs of torture and gunshot wounds. Mass graves were in the same condition. Investigations showed that women and children had been subjected to torture.
Why do I cite these chilling examples? To demonstrate that nowhere—no country, no corner of the world—are there regimes that embody morality, humanism, or peace. And when it comes to great powers, they operate with even greater cynicism, hypocrisy, and blatant violations of international law.
So how should we—citizens of countries that are not great powers—act? I believe we should not look to foreign powers for any “anchors” of morality or even progress. We should be guided exclusively by our own interests.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
The image was created using artificial intelligence tools
