It has now been almost a month since Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. The war’s brutality on civilians was captured in photographer Lynsey Addario’s soul-crushing image of a mother and her two children killed while trying to escape the violence.

Putin’s war crimes are clear for the world to see. They are monstrous and unforgivable. Which brings me to the split among leftists over Ukraine, primarily over how to view Russian aggression in the context of U.S. imperialism and NATO provocations. From my perspective, it shouldn’t be complicated. We can vigorously condemn Putin’s aggression while simultaneously holding the United States accountable for its continued militarism and meddling across the globe.

As I wrote recently, lest anyone pretend Putin is the only bad guy in this cold war redux, Biden is currently starving millions of Afghan children and stealing their money, which is itself a form of violence.

Peter Daou @peterdaou

Dear Democrats/liberals: Understand that when you cage children, abuse migrants, drone civilians, enable mass slaughter in Yemen, and starve Afghan children... You lose the moral standing to pontificate against other human rights abusers. #UkraineCrisis #Putin #Biden

February 21st 2022

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Biden is also arming the slaughter of children in Yemen.

jordan @JordanUhl

The US-backed Saudi-led war on Yemen has created the worst human rights disaster in the world. It has been going on for years. The US continues its essential role in supporting this despite Biden's campaign promises to withdraw. https://t.co/4KqAKdc5e2

Ahmad Algohbary @AhmadAlgohbary

#Breaking: #Saudi & #UAE fighter jets are bombing Sana'a international airport. #Yemen.

February 26th 2022

522 Retweets1,586 Likes

However, there is a sharp line between condemning American imperialism and defending the carnage that Putin has unleashed on the Ukrainian people. Consistency and morality demand that we denounce all nations (and leaders) that violently project power and attack civilians. Simply put: No matter how terrible America’s actions, there is no defending Vladimir Putin.

Rather, we should defend victims of imperialism and state violence, no matter who the perpetrator. Palestinian children. Yemeni children. Somali children. Syrian children. Afghan children. Ukrainian children. They are the victims. And they need us to stand up for them against militant global powers.

As a survivor of war who endured years of military conflict and was displaced from my home as a child, my focus is on those children who suffer and die at the hands of warmongers.

Listen to my firsthand description of what those kids are going through:

UPDATED 3/17/22