EDITOR'S CORNER: Not Everyone Has Christmas Peace

As we approach Christmas, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what is happening in Ukraine right now. Why do this? Because it’s important to remember that many of us are spending this season in peace, surrounded by friends and family, sharing a Christmas dinner or lunch.

Some of us may still be working. Others may not have friends or family to spend this time with, and the season can feel lonely. But one thing many of us share is peace, something that cannot be taken for granted.

This is what we explore in this blog post.

MASSIVE ATTACKS AT CHRISTMAS

Overnight and into today, Russia carried out a massive drone and missile attack across Ukraine, one of the most intense in recent weeks. Hundreds of drones and missiles targeted multiple regions, striking residential areas and critical infrastructure, particularly energy facilities. At least three civilians were reported killed, including a child, and many areas experienced power outages during freezing winter conditions.

Ukrainian air defenses intercepted many of the incoming weapons, but damage was reported in regions including Kyiv and Odesa. The scale of the attack raised alarm beyond Ukraine’s borders, with neighboring countries such as Poland scrambling fighter jets and placing air defenses on alert due to the proximity of the strikes. This response highlighted growing security concerns across Eastern Europe.

Ukrainian authorities are preparing for more intense attacks during the Christmas period. It is clear that Putin does not seek peace. He could not even agree to a Christmas ceasefire, just as he refused one last year.

Imagine not being able to sit down for a Christmas meal because, at any moment, you may have to hide in a bathroom, an underground metro station, or a basement used as a bomb shelter. Yet despite this reality, the Ukrainian Christmas spirit has not been extinguished.

A PIECE, NOT PEACE, OF UKRAINE AND MORE

As discussed countless times before, the United States is positioning itself as the central negotiator between Russia and Ukraine in talks about this so-called “peace.” The unifying factor in these discussions is America, a country that pressures the victim to make concessions while indulging the aggressor’s increasingly fantastical demands. It is a grim reflection of a political reality in which decency and moral judgment appear to have eroded, particularly since the rise of the Trump administration and the worldview it normalized.

Putin and the Kremlin do not want peace. More precisely, Putin does not want peace. Peace would threaten his survival. It really is that simple. Beyond personal survival, the war serves his obsession with legacy, the desire to project strength, and the ambition to inscribe his name in history. At its core, the conflict is also about subjugating Ukraine and dragging “Little Russia” back under Moscow’s control, whether under the banner of the old Soviet Union or a newly imagined one.

What is often ignored in these negotiations is that peace imposed through coercion is not peace at all. It is surrender dressed up as diplomacy. Any agreement that rewards aggression and punishes resistance does not end conflict; it merely postpones the next one, at an even greater cost.

PEACE IS NOT GUARANTEED

Here in Europe, it is worth remembering just how fortunate we are. We live in relative peace, with functioning infrastructure, warm homes, and the freedom to gather with our loved ones without fear. This stability can feel permanent, but history shows us that it is fragile. What is happening in Ukraine is not distant or abstract. It is a reminder of how quickly peace can be shattered, and how easily the unthinkable can become reality on our own continent.

That is why continued support for Ukraine matters. This war is not only about Ukraine’s survival, but about the future of Europe itself. Turning away now would signal that borders can be changed by force and that violence is rewarded with concessions. Supporting Ukraine is not an act of charity; it is an act of self-preservation, and a commitment to ensuring that peace in Europe remains something more than a temporary illusion.

CONCLUSION

As we move through the Christmas season, it is impossible to ignore the contrast between our own safety and the reality faced by millions of Ukrainians. While many of us gather in warmth and quiet, others listen for air raid sirens and plan escape routes instead of celebrations. Remembering this is not about guilt, but about awareness, empathy, and refusing to look away from suffering simply because it is inconvenient.

Peace is not a given. It is something that must be defended, protected, and valued. Ukraine’s fight is a reminder of what is at stake when aggression goes unchecked and moral clarity is abandoned. Standing with Ukraine today is a way of safeguarding Europe’s future tomorrow, and of ensuring that peace remains more than just a memory we speak about during the holidays.