Hussein vs.
Putin: why does the US act differently?
1:09
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Frida Ghitis (@fridaghitis), a former CNN producer and correspondent, is a world affairs columnist.
She is a weekly opinion contributor for CNN, a columnist for The Washington Post, and a columnist for the World Politics Review.
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(CNN) --
The moment was extraordinary.
In an era of deep divisions, the world stood almost totally united to punish Russia's attack on Ukraine.
In an emergency session at the United Nations on Wednesday, a resolution denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine was passed by a vote of 141 to 5 with 35 countries abstaining.
When the count was announced, the room erupted in a spontaneous standing ovation.
It was the most compelling evidence of how Putin has inadvertently promoted the causes he opposes with his attack on Ukraine.
Russia-Ukraine War: Breaking News, Invasion Analysis and News
If the contest of our time is one that pits democracies against autocracies—and I believe it is—Putin's campaign is advocating for democracy, despite his best efforts.
The war against Ukraine is only days away, but President Putin has already racked up an impressive series of historic achievements, all of them precisely the opposite of what he might have hoped to achieve.
The conflict is still raging, and Putin can still turn the tide on an invasion his forces have fought, but much of the damage he has done to their cause—much of what he has done to clarify the principles of democracy, self-determination, and global solidarity, and to strengthen the ideas, organizations, and countries that Putin tried to undermine for decades—will continue regardless of the ultimate outcome of his invasion.
From the United States to NATO to the European Union, Russia's wanton attack on its neighbor provoked utter revulsion, championed only by a handful of autocrats, with some even hesitating to give their full support to the attack.
Bombing in Kharkiv is recorded in video call 2:19
Putin gave the world a rare moment of moral clarity.
The crisis he created presented us with the real-life dangers of rampant autocracy and a very tangible demonstration of the importance of democracy, freedom and self-determination.
Rights that are so often considered lofty and ethereal concepts suddenly became palpable when Putin tried to steal them from the Ukrainian people.
And Putin's attack gave a renewed sense of mission to organizations whose stated mission is to preserve peace, security and democracy.
In the United States, which has suffered in recent years from the dangerous virus of political polarization — aggravated by interference from Moscow — Russia's attack created a rare surge of near-unanimity.
A CNN poll found that more than 80% of Americans back sanctions to punish and pressure Russia, with equal majorities of Democrats and Republicans lining up to say the US should do even more.
The sentiment was repeated around the world, with massive demonstrations and concrete measures taken not only by governments, but also by private companies.
Large corporations have decided to take a principled stand, even at great financial cost.
At the United Nations General Assembly, representatives from 193 countries have gathered in an emergency session — the first of its kind in 40 years — to debate a resolution deploring Russia's "unprovoked armed aggression."
UNGA President Abdullah Shahid of the Maldives called the body "the collective conscience of humanity."
And humanity spoke.
Speaker after speaker rose to condemn Russia's aggression.
Only a few dared to defend him.
Even China, one of Putin's only allies, called for respecting international borders.
War in Ukraine: 4 new maps after a week of Russian invasion
Ukraine's envoy Sergiy Kyslytsya warned: "If Ukraine does not survive, international peace will not survive... If Ukraine does not survive, we cannot be surprised if democracy fails next."
Canadian Ambassador Bob Rae, who like dozens of his peers has criticized Russia's actions, addressed the Russian people, telling those who have dared to challenge Putin with anti-war protests: "We see you and we listen," and told Russians that their president caused this "very miscalculated" crisis by ignoring the democratic spirit of the Russian people.
It was a reminder of how this disaster could upset Putin's control over his own country.
The representative of Russia repeated the false pretexts for this war, claiming that Russia is only defending itself against the threat of Ukraine.
How are Ukrainian refugees received in Europe?
1:06
Putin's war has made the Ukrainian people's courageous defense of their independence and democratic choices an inspiration to the rest of the world.
By attacking and claiming that they are not a real nation, he fueled Ukraine's sense of nationality and patriotism.
If Putin expected the West to split, NATO to stumble, the European Union to grind to a halt, he must be as surprised as the rest of the world by the global resolve he ignited.
NATO had been disparaged as "obsolete" and "brain-dead," but Putin has infused it with a new purpose.
Its most hesitant members, those closest to Moscow so far, have given their full support to resist and counter Putin's aggression.
Turkey is blocking access to the Mediterranean from the Black Sea to warships, including those of the Russian Navy.
Germany, which is most at risk of losing Russian fuel, appears transformed.
After several US presidents tried to pressure Berlin to increase its defense spending to the 2% of GDP required by NATO rules, it was Putin who made it possible.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated: "February 24, 2022 marks a historic turning point", referring to the date of the invasion.
He announced that Germany will immediately increase defense spending above 2% and speed up the development of non-Russian gas alternatives.
Eastern European autocrats, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a favorite of right-wing provocateurs, and Czech President Milos Zeman, disparaged by his critics as the "servant of the Kremlin", expressed alarm and revulsion at Putin's actions.
Zeman declared: "It is necessary to isolate a lunatic..."
Orban, whose ties to the EU have frayed in recent years, was unequivocal.
"Together with our allies in the European Union and NATO," he said, "we condemn Russia."
Putin managed to remind everyone, especially his neighbors, why they joined NATO.
For people everywhere, but especially in countries once dominated by the Kremlin, it was an unsettling reminder that their freedoms are not guaranteed.
In the process, Putin has branded himself a global outlaw, possibly a war criminal.
Moral clarity is always helpful.
ANALYSIS |
War crimes: how Putin could be tried at the International Criminal Court
In the past, Putin has been able to get around Western sanctions by counting on the greed of Western investors.
But the private sector found his actions equally abhorrent.
It's not often that private companies, driven by profit, give up billions of dollars to take a moral stand.
Putin likely hoped his army would secure a quick victory, then Russia would ride out a wave of sanctions by exploiting divisions in the West, investor greed and support from other autocrats.
The Russians are already paying the price for their miscalculation.
As his forces battle against a Ukraine that is more united than ever, the world, east and west, has been reawakened to the core values of civilizations.
Putin has reminded everyone that national borders must be sacrosanct and that everything we take for granted - not just our freedoms, but the basic assumption that when we wake up in the morning, our world will not have been turned upside down by the whims of a dictator—depends on respect for the principles that must be defended.
The resolve of the international community, of the peoples of the world, will be tested if this conflict continues much longer, and especially if Putin succeeds.
The sanctions against Russia, the obstacles to its exports, everything can present new difficulties for the people who now support Ukraine's struggle and oppose its aggression.
The coming days, weeks and months may well challenge everyone's determination and strength of character.
For now, Ukraine is doing the heavy lifting, but the vast majority of the world stands in solidarity, understanding that Ukraine's struggle belongs to everyone.
That is quite an achievement for Vladimir Putin;
not one I hoped to achieve.
Vladimir Putin