The present war between Russia and Ukraine – a 19th Century war, fought with 20th century tactics and 21st Century weaponry – is a reminder of the simplicities of the Cold War. It is the first ‘good war’ since the victory over Nazism; as we read daily news despatches from Kyiv, Bucha, Mariupol or Odesa, there are few shades of grey. Apart from a smattering of voices from the extreme Right and the extreme Left (as usual they have merged to meet at almost exactly the same place, two sides of the same coin) it has been entirely clear to almost everyone outside Russia who is the aggressor and who is the ‘victim’.
A similar point is made by most of the new books in the vast library already written about this war, with many more volumes on the way. This may be excellent for morale in the US and Europe, who are paying the bills
